723? 




M 




LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 



vA^- House of Representatives, 
Committee on Industrial Arts and Expositions, 

Washington, D. 6'., January 1^, 1901^. 

The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. James A. Tawney 
in the chair. 

There were present, in addition to the members of the committee, 
Mr. H. W. Scott, president of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Expo- 
sition; Mr. Jefferson Myers, president of the Lewis and Clark Cen- 
tennial Exposition Commission; Mr. W. L. Boise, of Portland, Oreg., 
and Hon. F. W. Cushman, Representative from the State of Washington. 

The Chairman. This meeting, gentlemen, is called for the purpose 
of hearing certain gentlemen on House bill 2850, referred to this com- 
mittee, providing for a centennial exposition at Portland, Oreg., to 
commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the Lewis and Clark 
expedition and discovery of the Oregon country. 

Mr. Scott, of Portland, Oreg. , is here, and, 1 believe, is the gentle- 
man who is to be heard first. We will hear you, Mr. Scott. 

STATEMENT OF HON. HARVEY W. SCOTT, OF PORTLAND, OREG., 
PRESIDENT OF THE LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSI- 
TION. 

Mr. Scott. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I shall 
not enter into a detailed examination or explanation of the bill before 
you. It will be studied of course by your committee. It is in the 
Senate now with a good many amendments changing it in some material 
features from the bill before you. However, if you wish any explan- 
atory statement in regard to it we will endeavor to make it. I will 
leave Mr. Boise the duty of answering any questions that may be asked 
as to the special details of the bill, or the changes we have made in it 
thus far. 

I shall not make a long address, but I shall wish to touch some main 
points in the history, and then give a short statement of what we are 
doing at Portland in this matter. 

It is our purpose, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, 
to hold an exposition, the name commonly given to undertakings of 
this kind, at Portland, Oreg., in the summer of 1905. The occasion 
of it is the centenary of the expedition of Lewis and Clark across the 
continent and over the mountains to the Pacific Ocean, an incident 
standing alone by itself of no great importance, but, as the beginning 
of all things on the Pacilic coast, of great importance not only to the 
Pacific coast but to the whole United States. It was the expedition 
that led the van of the movement of our people to the Pacific; that 



. / 



2 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

started our settlements there and laid the foundation for our great 
group of States on the western side of the continent. It was a move- 
ment of historical interest and of national importance not exceeded in 
its significance and its results by any other in the history of the expan- 
sion of the United States. It preceded by more than forty years the 
acquisition of California, to which it was a contributory cause. It 
preceded by a longer time the acquisition of Alaska, of which also it 
was the basis, since it was the beginning of evei\ything on the Pacific 
coast. It has placed us on the Pacific, where we face the commerce of 
the Pacific as hitherto we had faced only the commerce of the Atlan- 
tic. It has put us in touch on the shores of the Pacific with perhaps a 
majority of the whole human race. 

The title to the country we possess on the Pacific was formed and 
founded on the three capital incidents of discovery, exploration, and 
settlement. I shall not enter at length nor in any detail into the his- 
tory, for it is unnecessary in this presence; but, with the permission 
of the committee, I will touch a few heads of the subject and then pass 
on to an account of what we are doing at Portland for this exposition, 
for we have not come here to solicit the recognition and cooperation 
of the United States without first having made large preparations our- 
selves, including subscriptions and payments of money to carry on our 
project, which already is well advanced. 

As to the discovery. It was a stroke of fortune, merely, that gave 
us the discovery. The Spanish navigators from Mexico had been sail- 
ing along the west coast of America for two centuries. Some few had 
passed far to the north, but nothing really was known of the country 
north of the Bay of San Francisco, and there was not much informa- 
tion, and none of an accurate kind of the country, from Mexico to 
San Francisco. The Spaniards, however, laid an indefinite claim to 
the whole country of western North America, with, however, little 
upon which to found it. From the known breadth of the continent 
and from the trend of the coast toward the northwest, it had long been 
conjectured that a great river entered the ocean somewhere north of 
the fortieth parallel, and repeated efforts were made to find it. 

It is very well attested that one Spanish navigator saw the mouth of 
the Columbia River in the year 1775, but he did not enter the stream. 
He noticed, however, the vast outflow of fresh water, and marked very 
accurately the latitude. Some years later an English navigator, Meares, 
undertook to verify the Spanish navigator's asserted discovery, but 
failed. This was in the }^ear 1788. He made such examination as he 
could of the locality indicated, but somehow missed it, and recorded 
his opinion that no river existed there. Four years later, that is to 
say, early in the year 1792, George Vancouver, a more noted English 
navigator, passed the same spot, and subscribed, without qualification, 
to the opinion of Meares, that no river existed there. Yet within a 
very short time, a few weeks after Vancouver had passed the place, 
the river was entered b^y Captain Gray in the trading bark Columbia, 
of Boston. He was on the coast on a trading expedition, and almost 
accidentally dropped in there. He ascended the river for about 25 
miles, remained a fortnight or more, took his observations and then 
sailed northward, entering the Straits of Fuca. Here he met Van- 
couver, who was just completing the examination of our great estuary, 
which Vancouver named Puget Sound. Vancouver was its first 
explorer. Names he gave were sprinkled plentifully all over the Puget 
Sound country. ^ 






LEWIS AND CLAEK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 3 

*-* Vancouver continued his explorations for a considerable time about 
Yancouvers Island and the Gulf of Georgia, and then himself sailed 
southward, intending to go to the Bay of San Francisco, leaving 
Lieutenant Broughton with his smaller vessel to enter the Columbia 
River to verify Gray's discovery. Broughton entered the Columbia 
River in November, 1792. Gray had entered it in May, 1792. 
Broughton took his launch and ascended the river a little more than 
100 miles. The ultimate point he reached he called Vancouver. It 
was for a long time an important post of the Hudson's Bay Compan} T , 
now the county town of Clark County, Wash., 6 miles north of 
Portland. 

The importance to the United States of obtaining a footing upon 
the Pacific was seen even at this early day, but was appreciated by 
only a few of our statesmen. 

To Thomas Jefferson, our chief of expansionists, is due the honor of 
quick apprehension of the importance of Gray's disco very. Even 
before the acquisition of Louisiana Jefferson had planned an expedition 
across the continent over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. 
Jefferson, at a considerably earlier day, had become interested in west- 
ern explorations. While our ambassador at Paris, after the close of our 
Revolution, he had met John Ledyard, an American traveler, who 
entertained him with a vast project of discovery and colonization on 
our western coast. Gray's discovery recalled to his mind the possibil- 
ities, and after he became President he immediatel} 7 recurred to the 
idea he had formed a good many years before. The expedition, how- 
ever, that he contemplated was not organized for some little time after- 
wards, or until the purchase of Louisiana from France was completed, 
for in fact we had no right } 7 et to send an armed exploring party 
through the country of the upper Missouri, belonging to a friendly 
nation. 

A few years later, as gentlemen may recall, the expedition of Zebulon 
M. Pike through Colorado and into New Mexico, an armed exploring 
expedition of the United States, was arrested by the troops of Spain, 
the men were disarmed, held as prisoners for a while and then returned 
to the United States, which was the end of Pike's exploring expedition. 
But with the completion of the Louisiana purchase it became possible 
for President Jefferson to return to his project and carry it through. 

The purchase of Louisiana was completed in December, 1803. Early 
in the spring of 1804 the expedition of Lewis and Clark, under the 
direction of the President, was organized at or near St. Louis and began 
the ascent of the Missouri River. It proceeded as far as possible that 
3^ear until winter set in and the Missouri closed witji ice, when it 
stopped and passed the winter at Mandan, now in the State of North 
Dakota. In the spring it resumed the journey, passed on up the 
Missouri, keeping the principal of the head streams, entered the Jeffer- 
son, passed on over the mountains to the waters westward, followed 
down streams tributaries of the great southern affluent of the Columbia 
to the main stream, and on down the main stream, until in November, 
1805, the wide horizon of the Pacific Ocean burst upon their view, 
between the two great headlands that mark the debouch of the might}^ 
river into the great Pacific sea. 

This was the exploring expedition confirming the discovery. The 
men of the Lewis and Clark expedition were the first Americans who 
crossed the continent to the Oregon country and to the Pacific Ocean. 



4 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

Alexander Mackenzie, a Scotch Canadian, twelve years earlier, had 
come from Quebec, passing- through the continent and over the moun- 
tains from Peace River, which flows into Athabasca Lake, and then 
into the Mackenzie River, which discharges its waters into the Arctic 
Ocean. From the headwaters of the Peace River Mackenzie passed 
on west to the stream which later took the name of Fraser River; and 
after following it for some distance left it and struck directly west for 
the Pacific, which he reached in July, 1793, at or near the place now 
called Fort Simpson, which is to be the terminus of the new Grand 
Trunk Canadian Pacific Railway. 

Mackenzie was the first man to cross the continent north of the 
Spanish possessions, which at that time had an indeterminate northern 
boundary. This boundaiy, Spain's northern boundary, was fixed aft- 
erwards at the forty -second parallel by treaty between the United 
States and Spain. That is to say, it was a clause in the Florida treaty 
of 1819 that fixed the forty-second parallel as the northern limit of 
Spain's territory, which remains to this day the boundary between 
the States of Oregon and California, Oregon and Nevada, Utah and 
Idaho, etc. 

On the result of the expedition of Mackenzie and of the exploration 
of Vancouver, the British Government was already basing a large and 
general claim to sovereignt}^ on the Pacific. President Jefferson 
hastened the organization of the exploring expedition to go overland 
from the United States for the purpose of strengthening the rights 
we had acquired through Gray's discovery, and of anticipating other 
expeditions and claims by Great Britain. Lewis and Clark were not 
there too soon, for the British already had expeditions in preparation, 
and their explorers were on the upper Columbia but a little later than 
the return of Lewis and Clark from the mouth of the stream. 

Simon Fraser, in 1806-1808, followed to the sea the river that bears his 
name, believing at first, as Mackenzie before him had believed, that 
he was on the Columbia. Another Englishman, David Thompson 
(whose name is perpetuated in the well-known tributary of the Fraser), 
was the first man who explored the upper courses of the Columbia 
River; and some years later he followed it through its whole course to 
the sea, arriving at Astoria in the summer of 1811, four months after 
the arrival of the Astor expedition there and the occupation of the 
Oregon country by the Americans. Here again, as in Gray's discov- 
ery, we were but just a little in advance of the English. 

President Jefferson had been exceedingly anxious that the Lewis 
and Clark expedition should escape the notice of Great Britain and the 
British Northwest Company, with whom disputes about territorial rights 
were feared; but, in fact, the expedition did not escape their notice, 
for no sooner did Lewis and Clark appear on the Missouri than their 
expedition w T as discovered by the British, and in 1805 the British 
Northwest Company sent out its men to establish posts and occupy 
territories on the Columbia. In 1806 this party crossed the Rocky 
Mountains by the pass of Peace River and founded a small trading 
establishment near the fifty-fourth degree of latitude, the first British 
post west of the Rocky Mountains; but it was not until the year 1811 
that any Englishman went through to the country of the lower Colum- 
bia, and then the Pacific Fur Company, or Astoria party, was already 
established there. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 5 

But there remained between the United States and Great Britain a 
question of territorial dispute. We claimed everything almost, and 
they did the same. They certainly had rights, in the discovery on 
Fraser River and of Puget Sound, as they were the first to enter that 
region and explore it, but we had the territorial right to the countiy 
drained by the Columbia River. Amid these complications, however, 
neither party could claim absolute rights to the whole country, for 
neither was able wholly to exclude the other; but it was the expedition 
of Lewis and Clark that gave us the strength of our argument. The 
talk on our side was <4 fifty-f©ur foiiyy or fight," but our claim to fifty - 
four forty rested merely on the convention between the United States 
and Russia, for when Russia was asked to define the southern limits 
of her Alaskan territory she fixed fifty -four forty as that limit, so we 
claimed to fift} r -four fort}^, without any regard to the claims of Great 
Britain between our acknowledged territoiy and theirs; but as Great 
Britain was not a party to that convention, she declared that her rights 
could not be concluded by any negotiation in which she had not had a 
part and in whose results she had not promised agreement. 

The question was therefore still open as between Great Britain and 
the United States; but we had in Gi^'s disco veiy, in the exploring 
expedition of Lewis and Clark, and in the settlement of the country, a 
chain of title which made it impossible for us to concede Great Britain's 
claim to the Columbia River as a boundary line. Great Britain's claim 
was modified slowly to the north bank of the Columbia River. 

Still, there could be no determination of the dispute until the slow 
migration of our people to the Oregon country, over the plains and 
mountains, gradually established American influence there; and finally 
the considerable migration in the year 1843 gave Americans a decided 
preponderance, especially in the countiy south of the Columbia; but 
the boundary question dragged along, the British claiming as far south 
as the Columbia and we still claiming as far north as fifty- four forty, 
until the final settlement in 1846. 

So it was the exploration by Lewis and Clark that led to the settle- 
ment of the country by American citizens, and it was the exploration, 
therefore, that established us. The first fruit of the exploration was 
the Astor expedition of 1810-11, a joint undertaking by land and sea. 
After some years of effort this failed, in consequence chiefly of the war 
of 1812. Nathaniel Wyeth, of Boston, made up a trading party, going 
overland, in the year 1832. He sent a small vessel around with goods 
for barter with the Indians, which, however, was lost. Returning, he 
led a second party to the Columbia River in 1834, It was at this time 
also that the noted missionary effort, that bore so large a part in the 
settlement of that countiy and held it to the United States, began. 
This was a philanthropic and religious movement, undertaken for the 
purpose of carrying Christianuy and civilization to the Indians. Jason 
Lee led it in 1834. Samuel Parker followed in 1835; Marcus Whitman 
and others in 1836. Reinforcements came year by year in small num- 
bers both by sea and land. In 1838 Jason Lee, having returned over- 
land from Oregon, delivered a lecture in Peoria, 111., which started a 
considerable number of young men from that place the following 
spring — the spring of 1839 — to Oregon. 

From this time parties of increasing strength went in successive 
years, till in 1843 a caravan of nearly 1,000 persons with wagons set 



b LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

out from Independence, Mo., for Oregon. It reached its destination 
toward the end of that year. Among its members were many men 
who afterwards attained distinction at home and abroad. Of the 
number was James W. Nesmith, then a youth, later a *man of great 
distinction in Oregon and a Senator of the United States from 1861 to 
1867, and Peter H. Burnett, who went from Oregon to California and 
became the hrst governor of that State after its admission into the 
Union, and Marshall, the discoverer of gold in California, hrst migrated 
to Oregon and went from Oregon to California. 

Years before the war with Mexico, which led to the acquisition by 
conquest and purchase of California by the United States, citizens of 
the United States had migrated to the Oregon countiy in sufficient 
numbers to form and establish a government. In May, 1843, a pro- 
visional government was formed with avowed allegiance to the United 
States; but it was difficult, for British influence in the country was 
strong and at a meeting called to form a government the Americans 
prevailed by a bare majority— a majority of two. This was effected 
only through a union of the missionaries, of the free trappers of Ameri- 
can nativity, and of other elements of our pioneer life, not congruous 
in the minor details but actuated by a common sentiment of allegiance 
to the United States. Joseph L. Meek, a native of Virginia, who had 
gone in his boyhood to the far West and taken up the life of an explorer 
and trapper, together with an Indian wife, was chief in this effort. 
Few persons in our humbler life have done more for this country of 
ours than this unlettered Virginia boy. He it was who at that meet- 
ing forced the issue that b}^ a majority of but two declared the alle- 
giance of the people of the Oregon country to the United States and 
prevailed over the English. 

These were the efforts that gave us — gave the United States — posses- 
sion of the western half of the continent. I need not dwell on the sub- 
ject; the merest outline is sufficient, since it is only necessary to say 
enough to revive the memory of what we all know about the move- 
ment which carried expansion across the continent long before the 
purchase of California, and before the discovery of gold in California 
gave a new impulse to the life of the western world. It is the first 
centenary of expansion of the United States to the shores of the Pacific 
that we are about to commemorate, and we ask the recognition and par- 
ticipation of the United States. In its consequences the event we cele- 
brate is one of the great and significant things in our history — the first 
expedition of Americans, the first acquisition of territory on the western 
ocean — which has led to other acquisitions, until now we have a coast 
line on the Pacific exceeding the length of our coast line on the Atlan- 
tic, with ports and vantage points from which we may control the com- 
merce of the greatest of oceans, in touch with the greater portion of 
the inhabitants of the globe. 

Allow me now to present a statement of what we have done and are 
doing for this exposition on our own account. Our first step was the 
formation of a corporation at Portland, with a capital of $500,000. Of 
this sum, stock to the amount of $120,000 has already been subscribed 
and most of the money paid. The sale of stock still proceeds. The 
legislature of the State of Oregon has made an appropriation- of 
$500,000, and has appointed a commission to direct the use and expendi- 
ture of the money. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. ( 

The Chairman. Let me ask you there, Mr. Scott — has your legis- 
lature authorized the holding of this exposition? 

Mr. Scott. It has; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The work that is now being done is being done 
under that authority, is it? 

Mr. Scott. It is being done under that authority. It is done under 
the authority of law. The sum of $500,000 has been appropriated by 
the State and directions are made in the law for the cooperation of 
the Portland corporation with the State commission. Mr. Jefferson 
Myers, the president of the commission, is here with us to-day. 
Directors of the corporation and members of the commission confer 
together under authority and direction of law and work in harmony. 
Many States have signified their intention of participating in the expo- 
sition, and we are assurred that others will do likewise. The States of 
California, Idaho, Utah, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Mis- 
souri have taken legislative action and their combined appropriation 
for exhibits at Portland amounts to $260,000. The State of Washing- 
ton is yet to take action, but it is not doubted that at the next session 
of her legislature very ample provision will be made for the partici- 
pation of Washington, now the foremost State of the original Wash- 
ington country. 

Mr. Cushman. Mr. Scott, I wish you would make a little statement 
in reference to the action that was taken by our legislature. 

Mr. Scott. An appropriation of $70,000, if I mistake not, was made, 
but owing, as I think — I am not acquainted with all the particulars — 
to some disagreement between the governor and the legislature upon 
various points it was cut out in a sort of miscellaneous blanket veto, 
with some other matters. 

Mr. Cushman. There was a very general disposition on the part of 
the people of our State to make a liberal appropriation for this pur- 
pose. I do not think there is any doubt but that appropriation will 
be made by the legislature at the coming session, this coming winter, 
a year from now. 

The Chairman. That will be for your own State building and 
exhibit ? 

Mr. Cushman. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Scott. I think I may say, properly enough, that between cer- 
tain leaders of the legislature and the governor some dissensions 
occurred, and that was the cause of this appropriation being cut out 
in the general veto. 

Our undertaking, it will be seen, therefore, is no local one. It is 
supported by several other States and, we doubt not, will receive the 
support of more; and we think, in view of this presentation and of the 
historical importance, in a national sense, of the event we are to com- 
memorate, we are not amiss in asking the recognition and support of 
the United States. 

Our plan embraces the expenditure of between $400,000 and $500,000 
for our buildings, $300,000 for preparation of the grounds and for the 
light required, and $100,000 for administration, for general expenses, 
and for exploitation or advertising. For these purposes we have the 
money and are expending it. We are proceeding on this basis, and 
by the end of the year our work will be practically complete. 

The Chairman. Will you please repeat that statement as to the cost 
of the different branches? 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

Mr. Scott. Our plan embraces the expenditure of between $400,000 
and $500,000 for our buildings; $300,000 for preparation of the 
grounds and for the light required — lighting is an expensive thing 
and light is now one of the main features of cost in all these expedi- 
tions — and $100,000 for administration and general expenses of adver- 
tising and exploitation. 

Mr. Pouter. Do you say that is your scheme? 

Mr. Scott. Yes; that is our scheme, with our own money. That is 
our scheme of operation. We are going on with that now, and we 
have the grounds very well prepared, as I will show a little further on. 
We are proceeding on this basis. By the end of the year our work 
will be practically completed. 

For the exposition we have a site of surpassing beauty, two or three 
miles from the business center of Portland, but connected with it by 
all main street-car lines and also by the Northern Pacific Railroad. It 
is a site of 400 acres, about half of which is a natural lake of 5 to 
15 feet in depth. Above it the ground by easy gradations rises to a 
commanding view of the lake, the city, and the incomparable moun- 
tain peaks, clad in perpetual snow, that stand before the city of Port- 
land. Preparation of these grounds is now far advanced. Roads and 
paths, water supply, and drainage have all been provided at a cost 
exceeding $100,000. W 7 e are making a vast rose garden, in a climate 
and soil unequaled for the rose, which we believe will be the finest the 
world has ever seen. Plans of the main building for the exposition 
are completed, and the erection of the buildings will immediately 
begin. So, as I said at the outset, it will mean that we have not come 
here to ask the recognition and assistance of the United States without 
first having made very considerable preparations ourselves. 

We now ask the United States, in view of the history of the begin- 
ning and growth of our domain on the Pacific coast, of its present 
importance, and of the position it gives us in relation to the commerce 
of the Pacific Ocean and the Orient, to add an exhibit of its own to the 
interest of the occasion we commemorate. Looking to ultimates, 
already looming into view, the position we have gained west of the 
Rocky Mountains and on the Pacific, through the acquisition of the 
Oregon country and its consequences, is of no less importance than 
that of the Louisiana territory. Who can say, from forecast of the 
commerce of the world, how great it may yet become? 

Our bill provides simply for the participation by the United States 
in the Lewis and Clark exposition at Portland. It proposes that the 
Government shall erect a building or buildings for the purpose, and 
place exhibits therein, ail under the direction of its own commissioner. 
The Government is further asked to join the State of Oregon and the 
city of Portland in the erection of a memorial building to be dedicated 
to the history of the West and to the collection and preservation of 
the records of the history and of those who made it. 

May I be permitted to say, Mr. Chairman, that these expositions, 
such of them in particular as ma} 7 be based on historical interest, have 
their uses, and their large uses? The} 7 instruct the people in the his- 
tory of the country. They give lessons in patriotism. The} 7 acquaint 
the people with the fact that what they have and enjoy has come 
through the high spirit and earnest devotion of their ancestors. And 
when you cause a people to look backward to the achievements of 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 9 

their ancestors, you cause them to look forward to the welfare of their 
posterity. 

In a material and industrial sense also the advantage is great. It 
is highly useful to the people to let them be shown by examples the 
progressive steps by which our material development has reached its 
present height. We never can know just what our own position is in 
our own time until we have acquainted ourselves, in some sort at least, 
with the steps and stages b} T which we have reached it. And herein 
these historic expositions are especially useful. 

Moreover, in the new development they promote, especially in a new 
country like ours of the West, where all, or almost all, the resources 
of nature yet await the transforming mind and hand of man, the country 
will quickly reap results, even in the growth of its revenues, far in 
excess of the sums thus expended. To the Oregon country the 
national treasury is surely a debtor by some tens of millions in excess 
of all kinds of appropriations made from the national Treasury, and 
this exposition, recognized and assisted by the United States, will 
attract an attention to the country and promote its development to an 
extent that will be felt speedily upon the national revenues, and the 
money we ask for will come back to the Treasury in multiplied sums. 

In the earty part of the nineteenth century Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 
great among greatest of names in literature in England, taking note 
of the movement and spread of our people over the breadth of North 
America, said: 

The thought of the United States of America, occupied by a nation of 100,000,000 
of people, extending across a great continent from ocean to ocean, living under the 
laws of Alfred and speaking the language of Shakespeare and Milton, is an august 
conception. 

It is indeed an august conception, and it has been already practically 
realized. W r e are to commemorate our part of it, which is not small, 
by our exposition at Portland, in the Oregon country, for which we 
now request the recognition and cooperation of the United States. 

The President of the United States, in his recent message, spoke 
approvingly of the undertaking which we represent, He said: 

The Lewis and Clark expedition across the continent marked the beginning of the 
process of exploration and colonization which thrust our national boundaries to the 
Pacific. The acquisition of the Oregon country, including the present States of 
Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, was a fact of immense importance in our history, 
first giving us our place on the Pacific seaboard, and making ready the way of our 
ascendancy in the commerce of the greatest of the oceans. The centennial of our 
establishment upon the western coast by the expedition of Lewis and Clark is to be 
celebrated at Portland, Oreg., by an exposition in the summer of 1905, and this event 
should receive recognition and support from the National Government. 

Mr. Bartlett. That is in the last message, 1 believe? 

Mr. Scott. Yes; the message which was sent to Congress about six 
weeks ago. 

Though we represent a country that has a history of but a century, 
such has been its distance hitherto from the centers of population that 
it is new in its development. It is a country of the largest resources, 
3^et scarcely touched. Its potentialities are immense and exhaustless. 
The senior Senator from Oregon, in his speech in the Senate a short 
time ago, showed what enormous sums have been contributed to the 
Treasury by the Oregon country in excess of all the sums that have 
been appropriated for all purposes for it; and the revenues from 



10 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

that country to the National Treasury will vastly increase with further 
development of the country. We hope with this exposition to attract 
increased attention to the countiy and to all the States of the Pacific 
coast west of the mountain region. To make our exposition national 
and international we desire the recognition and approval of the United 
States. 

Here is a matter to us of utmost importance. With the recogni- 
tion and assistance of the United States, the cooperation of the United 
States in our effort, we shall attract the attention of foreign countries 
and particularly of those that are making exhibits now at St. Louis. 
In our intercourse with the people from foreign countries who are 
exhibiting at St. Louis, they all manifest an interest in our exposition 
and say to us that they have no question whatever that if the United 
States will give this exposition of ours maintenance and support they 
will also ask to transfer no inconsiderable part of their exhibits there. 
Many expositions have received such aid as we ask, but no one, gen- 
tlemen of the committee, on the western side of the continent. As I 
say, we shall easily obtain the exhibits that many countries will have 
this year at St. Louis if the Congress will show its approval of our 
exposition by the act we solicit. 

Here, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, we confidently 
say is an undertaking of national interest and importance. It will 
commemorate an event among the greatest in the expansion of the 
United States; and more than this, note the position in which it has 
placed us in the new development of international commerce on the 
Pacific. The active theater of the world's new effort is now in Asia 
and western America. The two hemispheres, heretofore in commu- 
nication only across the Atlantic, are now rapidty developing an inter- 
course over the Pacific. Forty to fift}^ steamships now sail regularly 
between our Pacific ports and the ports of the Orient, and of "tramp" 
steamers and sailing vessels a large and continually growing fleet. 
Pressure of Russia and of other nations upon China and Japan is cre- 
ating a prodigious activity and is sure to result in vast transformations 
there. England, France, and Germany have their spheres of active 
influence in that same enormous field. Doubtless there will be wars, 
in which, however, we shall hope not to be obliged to participate. 
But we can not be indifferent to events in a movement that includes 
more than one-half the human race. We are in the Philippine Islands 
ourselves — an incomparable station for observation and commerce. 
Participation in the results that are to come from the transformation 
of the Orient will be had through the ports of our Pacific States — 
the way stations en route to lands across the Pacific. 

Of this mighty development now just beginning to appear, our 
country should take all proper advantage. It means a commerce on 
the Pacific which will rival that of the Atlantic. It means mighty 
industrial and commercial progress for our States of the western side 
of the continent. Where now are five millions of people there may be 
fifty millions by the close of this century, with every kind of intellectual 
and moral development comparable with the material prosperity. 

We submit that the undertaking which we commend to your con- 
sideration may be useful, and highly useful, in stimulation of this 
activity and, in some sort, in direction of it. It will draw attention 
to the possibilities that lie within our States on the Pacific, and to the 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 11 

position they give the United States in relation to the changes and 
destinies of the eastern world. We commemorate the initial and lead- 
ing event in a series of events of importance unsurpassed in the history 
of the United States — full as this history is of great events. And, 
looking to the future, as the two hemispheres touch each other on the 
Pacific, or across the Pacific, there is material for prophecy beyond 
the most vivid imagination. That future is begun already. It is 
manifest, it presses, and it remains for us of America to seize it, to 
bear our part of it. We propose our exposition both as an incident 
and as an agent of this coming greatness. To your attention we 
commend it. 

Mr. Myers. Mr. Cushman, is it not a fact that in your State of 
Washington the bill for the State appropriation was vetoed for the 
reason that you exceeded the amount of your revenues in appropria- 
tions? Is not that practically the greatest reason wiry it was vetoed? 

Mr. Cushman. No; I do not think that was the reason. The reason, 
I think, has been fairly stated by Mr. Scott. There was a very bitter 
feeling engendered during the sessions of the legislature. I do not 
recall the specific grounds upon which the governor based his veto, 
but the general feeling out there was that the political dissensions, to 
some extent, at least, governed in the matter of this general blanket 
veto. 

Mr. Myers. My recollection is that there was something about 
exceeding the amount of the revenue. 

Mr. Cushman. I do not recall. It may be possible that that was 
the express ground put forward by the governor. 

Mr. Myers. I was under that impression. 

Mr. Cushman. But I am sure Mr. Scott is correct in saying that to 
some extent local political considerations entered into the matter, and 
I do not think there is any doubt that the coming legislature in our 
State, that will meet just about one year from now, will make a gen- 
erous appropriation for this fair, approximating at least, 1 think, 
$100,000. That is my personal judgment at any rate. 

Mr. Wynn. Is it not a fact that there was certain legislation that 
the governor was opposed to, which was inserted in the appropriation 
bill, and it either meant the signing of that entire bill and the adop- 
tion of legislation which he was opposed to or cutting the whole thing- 
out, vetoing it all, and taking the responsibility. 

Mr. Cushman. I think that is correct. 

Mr. Bartlett. Is it not a fact that the State government is now 
practically running without a budget — in other words without appro- 
priations ? 

Mr. Cushman. To some extent; yes. 

Mr. Rodenberg. Is there any constitutional provision in your State 
constitution which would prevent the appropriation of money from 
the State revenues ? A great many of the State constitutions limit the 
power of indebtedness. 

M. Cushman. They limit the power of indebtedness in our State, 
but there is nothing in the constitution that prohibits the making of 
an appropriation of this character, provided we are within the consti- 
tutional limits of the indebtedness in making the appropriation. 

Mr. Scott. You are at St. Louis now with an appropriation? 

Mr. Cushman. That is correct. 



12 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

STATEMENT OF W. L. BOISE, OF PORTLAND, OREG. 

Mr. Boise. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, the 
amendments which Mr. Scott referred to in this bill, as they amount 
in several places to a mere change of words to make it all in accordance 
with the general design of the bill, are simpty twofold in importance. 
The first amendment is this, as provided in the first part of the bill: 
In case there was a dispute, a committee of arbitration was provided 
for, two of whom should be appointed by the Government, two by 
the State commission, and two by the local corporation. If they 
could not agree they were to choose a seventh arbitrator. That, of 
course, virtually gave the power, in case of arbitration, into the hands 
of our local committees. It was thought best by Senator Mitchell and 
Senator Fulton (Senator Fulton being a member of the Exposition 
Committee and having this bill in charge for report to the Senate) that 
this power should be vested in the National Government and in the 
commission appointed under this bill. So that was changed, and in 
case of any dispute arising two were to come from the national com- 
mission and one from each of the others, and in case the}^ could not 
agree the fifth member was to be selected by the Secretary of the 
Treasury, which gave the control to the national exposition committee 
appointed by the President under this bill. 

The Chairman. And that follows the provision in the Louisiana 
purchase exposition bill? 

Mr. Boise. Yes. 

Mr. Myers. That is, the amendment does. 

Mr. Boise. Yes; the amendment. The committee yesterday made 
a unanimous favorable report in the Senate upon this bill, and that 
has been ordered printed. As soon as it is printed we will see that the 
bill as amended is submitted here, and those amendments are per- 
fectly agreeable to our people. 

The other amendment was with reference to the Sunday matter. 
Several letters have been received from different religious denomina- 
tions with reference to 

The Chairman. At the instance of Mr. Crafts here in Washington. 

Mr. Boise. Yes; so that, at the suggestion of a member of the Sen- 
ate committee, it was provided in a little different wa)\ It appears 
that our people out home, especial^ the laboring people, are very 
anxious to view the exposition grounds upon Sunday, and so a provi- 
sion was put in this bill to the effect that no machinery that operated 
the different exhibits should be used upon that day, but that merely the 
machinery used for the electric lighting, which would be necessary, 
should be used, and that no places of amusement should be opened, 
and that devotional exercies should be held by the different denomi- 
nations each Sunday during the exposition and a sacred concert given. 
That was the position taken b} r the Senate committee on that ques- 
tion, rather than to require the absolute closing of the gates. 

The Chairman. Is that satisfactory to the Reverend Mr. Crafts, 
here in Washington, who styles himself a "Christian lobbyist?" 

Mr. Boise. 1 am not sure as to that, Mr. Chairman, but that was 
what the Senate committee agreed to. 

Mr. Bartlett. Would that make religious exercises compulsory? 

Mr. Boies. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Bartlett. Whether they want it or not? 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 13 

Mr. Boies. I do not think there will be an}^ trouble about getting 
them to do it. 

Now, gentlemen, I will only take up your time for just a few min- 
utes. We confidently ask for your assistance in this matter for the 
reason that the expedition of Lewis and Clark was national in every 
respect. It was inaugurated by a confidential message sent by Presi- 
dent Jefferson to Congress asking for an appropriation to defray the 
expenses of it on the ground that it was to be for discovery and explora- 
tion and finding a w^j by what he^ then thought might be a water 
route across the continent; that is, to whatever river on the other side 
of the Rocky Mountains might communicate with the Pacific Ocean. 
He placed in charge of this expedition his own private secretary, who 
was made a captain in the Regular Army of the United States. Cap- 
tain Lewis called to his assistance Captain Clark, who had previously 
been an officer of the United States and he was again commissioned 
a captain in the Regular Army. 

The men who went upon the journe\^ with them, with the exception 
of one or two voyagers and cooks, were all practically volunteers from 
the Regular Army, so that this expedition was national in every respect, 
and they were sent with presents to give to the Indians, messages to 
the Indians, and brought back with them to Washington some of the 
Indian chiefs, or at any rate one of the Mandan chiefs, so as to create 
a friendly relationship. 

So, as I say, this was national in every respect and the result of it 
was national. The result of it was the acquisition of a vast territory 
in itself. The Oregon territory, even after the compromise measures, 
after the line was reduced, still had an area of over 285,000 square 
miles, including all of the States of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho 
and about one quarter of the State of Montana and about a like propor- 
tion of the State of Wyoming. As Mr. Scott has already explained, 
it also placed us upon the Pacific Ocean, and therefore the acquisition 
of California and the acquisition of Alaska have since followed in the 
wake of this exploration. 

It not only brought us this country, but it was not a burden upon 
the United States. As shown in the speech of Senator Mitchell, it 
has already contributed to the National Treasury over $37,000,000 in 
excess of all money that has been expended upon that country by the 
Government of the United States. According to the statistics sub- 
mitted in the speech of Senator Fulton, that country is to-day produc- 
ing $70,000,000 a year in precious minerals, and in farm and dairy 
products and manufactures it is producing over 1364,000,000 annually. 

In addition to that, we have the largest amount of standing timber 
left anywhere in the Temperate zones of the world. The Government 
reports show between four hundred billion and five hundred billion 
feet. That timber alone when marketed will be worth between six 
and seven and a half billion dollars. In addition to that, the mineral 
wealth of that country has hardly been touched. Everywhere they 
are opening up new mining countries, and this 170,000,000 annually 
that is now produced will be largely exceeded in the next few years. 

Now, one more matter. It seems strange, but yet it is a fact, that in 
the development of the world this little country is the last to be devel- 
oped. California, by reason of the gold discovery, has been much 
more largely settled, its resources much more largely developed; but 
this little old original Oregon country is the last section of the earth 



14 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

in the Temperature zones where people can comfortably live where the 
resources are not developed to-day. Civilization commenced on the 
other shores of the Pacific, and in Asia there is the thickest populated 
section of the earth. You follow across Europe and across the United 
States, and it is the same thing; but this little county alone remains 
the last section of the earth, as I say, in the Temperate zones where the 
resources are not developed; and I say to you, gentlemen, and confi- 
dently, that not one-tenth of the resources of that country are yet 
developed. In fact, we can produce ten times as much as our present 
figures show, and we can sustain ten times as large a population as we 
have to-day in the Oregon country. 

I want to say this: Where you have held and aided these other 
expositions, they have mostly been in sections of the United States 
where the resources of the countiy have already been developed. It 
is a very different proposition in our country. You will open the 
eyes of the world to what we have in the old Oregon country. You 
will hasten the settlement of that country, and the money that jou 
appropriate here to assist us shall be returned to you tenfold in a 
very few years in the increased customs and internal- revenue receipts. 

The Chairman. If you will pardon me, the Government has never 
appropriated money to aid in any exposition except the Centennial 
Exposition, Philadelphia, again at Chicago and at St. Louis, other 
than for the purpose of erecting its own building, and to make its 
own exhibit, for participation in local expositions, the same as the 
States. 

Mr. Boise. I understand that, Mr. Chairman, but what I mean to 
say is that all these expositions, whether the Government directly 
aided them or whether it afterwards assisted them, have been in parts 
of the country where the resources have been developed. That was 
my point. 

The Chairman. I thought you were under the impression that these 
minor expositions have been authorized by Congress. 

Mr. Boise. This will result in practical benefit to the United States. 
1 do not mean to criticise the other expositions. I feel that the others 
were perfectly proper. This is the greatest country in the world, and 
it should celebrate the great epochs in its history and important events 
in its history. I do not see any reason why it should not do so, but I 
simply say that we can guarantee to you that you will get some return 
from this. 

This Lewis and Clark expedition gave us the great harbor of Puget 
Sound. I doubt if there is any harbor in the world that equals it. It 
gave us the Columbia River. Columbia River, together with its trib- 
utaries, is to-day navigable for 2,132 miles, and along the banks of that 
river grows everything that can be produced, practically, in the tem- 
perate zone, and so far without fertilization. 

Then the Columbia River is navigable for deep-water vessels from 
its mouth for about 115 miles, I think, to Portland. It is a fresh-water 
port. The barnacles that are gathered on vessels on an incoming vo}^- 
age are dropped there, which hastens their voyage to other parts of 
the world. 

We have a great country there where this can all be brought together. 
It is all susceptible of development, and within the last few years the 
different transcontinental railroads of the country have been opened 
into that country, so that everything we have there is now ready, if 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 15 

we only had the people to develop its great resources. To use the 
expression of another, "The gates of the matchless harbors of the 
Pacific Ocean will never swing outward to an emigrant going to any 
better land than this." 

Now, what, as a nation, do we owe to the memory of Lewis and 
Clark for their grand achievement? When they started on their 
journey Charette, the home of Daniel Boone, was the last white settle- 
ment toward the west, just a little way above St. Louis. By reason 
of their expedition, and immediately upon their return, different trap- 
ping parties and exploration parties and parties for the settlement of 
the country commenced to start from St. Louis into the country 
between the Mississippi and the Rock} 7 Mountains; so that not only 
did the} 7 discover the Oregon country, but, by reason of their reports 
on this other country, which had heretofore not been explored, they 
greatly hastened the development of the country between the Missis- 
sippi and the Rocky Mountains. 

In addition to that, as soon as they had left this settlement, they 
plunged into an unknown country, inhabited by wild bands of Indians, 
speaking unknown tongues, and they traveled on their journey, going' 
and coming, over 9,000 miles. Fortunately for themselves and for 
that country, not one of the party was killed during the journey. But 
one death resulted, and that was from natural causes; but I do not 
believe that in history any expedition of greater hazard was ever 
undertaken, and certainly none ever resulted more successfully. 

To give you some idea of what the people thought about that 1 
just want to read a little extract from President Jefferson's letter to 
Captain Lewis. He said: 

As you will be without money, clothes, or provisions you must endeavor to use 
the credit of the United States to obtain them, for which purpose open letters of 
credit will be furnished to you, authorizing you to draw on the Executive of the United 
States, or any of its officers, in any part of the world on which drafts can be disposed 
of, and to apply with our recommendations to the consuls, agents, merchants, or 
citizens of any nation with which we have intercourse, assuring them in our name 
that any aids they may furnish you shall be honorably repaid, and on demand. Our 
consuls, Thomas Hewes, at Batavia, in Java, William Buchanan, in the Isles of France 
and Bourbon, and John M. Elmslie, at the Cape of Good Hope, will be able to 
supply your necessities by drafts on us. 

Further in the letter the President says: 

To provide on the accident of your death against anarchy and dispersion and the 
consequent dangers to your party and total failure of the enterprise, you are hereby 
authorized by any instrument signed and in your own hand, to name the person 
among them who shall succeed to the command on your decease, and by like instru- 
ments to change the nomination from time to time as further experience of the char- 
acters accompanying you shall point out superior fitness; and all the powers and 
authorities given to yourself are, in the event of your death, transferred to and 
vested in the successor so named, with further power to him and his successors, in 
like manner, to name each his successor who, on the death of his predecessor, shall 
be invested with all the powers and authorities given to yourself. 

This only shows you the hazard with which the President regarded 
this enterprise. Fortunately now, as we look at it, that danger is all 
gone by, but that was what was contemplated. The President did not 
know but that the}- might be driven in the Pacific Ocean by cannibals, 
picked up by a vessel and landed in a foreign country, or where they 
might go, or how many might be killed. 

The old saying, that " Westward the star of empire takes its way," 
was made many years ago; but do you realize, members of the com- 



16 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

mittee, that it can go no farther in a temperate zone? Civilization 
commenced on the other shore of the Pacific Ocean, and when Lewis 
and Clark pitched their tents on the sunset shore of our great country 
the star of empire on the mainland could go no farther. They crossed 
the last mountain and unfurled our flag on the last shore of the great- 
est ocean on earth to greet the onward march of civilization; and 
there it floats to-day, beckoning and welcoming men of brain and brawn, 
men of capital and industry, to come and help develop its wonderful 
and matchless resources and share in bounties that nature has there 
provided for mankind to enjo}?. 

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, we beseech you and 
beg of you to give our request the patriotic consideration which our sec- 
tion's past historical and commercial importance we firmly and sincerely 
believe entitle it to receive at your hands. 

The Chairman. Gentlemen, it is evident we can not complete this 
hearing to-day. The president of the Oregon commission, Mr. Myers, 
is here, and I know the committee would like to hear him. Then there 
are some details connected with this bill that I do not clearly understand 
from the statements made by the gentleman here to-day, which may be 
cleared up at a future hearing. 

Mr. Boise. Mr. Mondell and Mr. Jones were here this morning, and 
several other Congressmen from the Oregon country, and they expressed 
a desire that they might also be heard at some future time. 

The Chairman. I would be glad to continue the hearing this after- 
noon, but I am chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on the 
state of the Union. We are considering the legislative bill, and that 
will probably take all day. To-morrow there is an important hearing 
before the Ways and Means Committee on a bill that I have introduced. 
W T e could go on Saturdaj^ morning if that is satisfactory. 

Mr. Boise. Saturday would be very satisfactory to us. 

The Chairman. Then, without objection, gentlemen, we will adjourn 
the hearing until 10 o'clock on Saturdaj^. 

The committee thereupon adjourned until Saturday, January 16, 
1904, at 10 o'clock a. m. 



Washington, D. C, January 16, 190£. 
The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. James A. Tawney in 
the chair. 

STATEMENT OF JEFFERSON MYERS, PRESIDENT OF THE LEWIS 
AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION FOR THE STATE OF 
OREGON. 

The Chairman. We will hear j^ou, Mr. Myers. 

Mr. Myers. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, my 
statement will be very brief. I desire to call your attention to page 
38 of Senator Mitchell's speech in reference to the amount of appro- 
priation that has been made by the General Government for exposi- 
tions. I have copies of the speech here if you would like to have them. 
In that speech he shows, from figures of the Secretary of the Treasury, 
that about $21,107,852.15 has been appropriated, not one dollar of 
which has ever gone to one-half of the area of this country of ours 
on the western coast. I merely call your attention to that because 



LEWIS AND CLAKK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 17 

of the fact I have understood a statement has been made by some 
parties there had only been small appropriations made, or practically 
in two places, before this for expositions. 

The Chaikman. Right there let me call your attention to this fact. 
You do not distinguish between the Government appropriating money 
for the erection of its own buildings and furnishing its own exhibits 
and appropriating money for the purpose of aiding and carrying on 
the exposition independently of its own building and exhibits. I have 
made the statement that the Government heretofore has appropriated 
money in aid of carrying on only three expositions, and they were inter- 
national. All the other expositions that the Senator has included in 
his speech were expositions given under local authority by States, and 
the Government participated in those expositions by appropriating 
money for its own exhibits and its own building. The question here 
is whether this comes under the class of expositions known as local or 
State expositions, or is an international exposition such as the Govern- 
ment has heretofore authorized. 

That is one of the questions that I do not fully understand. Your 
statement here before the committee up to this time would indicate 
that } r our exposition comes within the class of such expositions as those 
at Atlanta, Ga., Nashville, Tenn., Omaha, Buffalo, and Charleston. 
Those were practically local, all of them except that at Buffalo. None 
of them were authorized by the Government except the Buffalo expo- 
sition, and for the Buffalo exposition there was no appropriation of 
money to aid in carrying the exposition forward. There was no 
national committee appointed. Five hundred thousand dollars was 
appropriated after the exposition was over because of the financial 
failure of the exposition, which was due, or at least was claimed to be 
due, to the tragedy which occurred there near the close of the exposi- 
tion, which threw a wet blanket over it and virtually destro}^ed about 
six weeks or more of the time of the exposition. There is that 
distinction. 

In this case your State has authorized the exposition. That is, the 
authority for the holding of the exposition has already been obtained. 
In the cases of the expositions at Philadelphia, Chicago, and St. Louis 
there was nothing done until the Government had first authorized the 
exposition and created a national commission and appropriated money 
with which to aid in carrying it on. As your State has authorized the 
exposition and made the appropriation, and as you have already gone 
on with your plans, preparing your ground for the construction of 
buildings, it seems to me a little inconsistent to come in now and ask 
the Government to authorize that which your State has already done 
in that respect. The situation is altogether different from that of any 
exposition that the Government has directly appropriated aid for in 
the past. 

I inferred from the remarks of Mr. Scott and Mr. Boise the other 
da}^ that while your bill authorizes the exposition, in fact all you asked 
from Congress was simply participation in the exposition by appro- 
priating money for the erection of its own building and making its 
own exhibit, which, of course, would be an entirely different proposi- 
tion from the class of expositions for which the Government has here- 
tofore appropriated money and which it has authorized. If that is all 
that is wanted, of course the provision for a national commission is 

L & C 2 



18 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

entirely unnecessary, because if the committee should decide to recom- 
mend the appropriation for the Government building and the making 
of a Government exhibit, then the Government board provided for in 
the bill, such as we have at St. Louis and had at Chicago, would be 
ample to protect and look after the interests of the Government. 

The only thing the Government would be doing, then, would be 
erecting its own building and making its own exhibit. It would be 
the same participation as that of the States. On that feature of it I 
do not understand just exactty what you people want. If Mr. Scott 
and Mr. Boise were correct in their statements the other day that it 
was governmental participation by the erection of Government build- 
ings and the making of Government exhibits that is wanted, of course 
that would obviate the necessity of any national commission at all. It 
would eliminate that item of expense entirely, and it would also relieve 
the local company from the necessity of having any provision in the 
national act giving jurisdiction over any part of the exposition to the 
national authorities. The national authorities would simply go in 
there as the States do and look after the Government's interests. 

The object of a national commission in the act authorizing the St. 
Louis exposition was to protect the rights of the foreign governments 
that we had invited, and also to see that the local corporation did not 
do anything that might tend to create friction between the represent- 
atives of the foreign governments and the Government of the United 
States. That was one of the principal reasons for the creation of the 
national commission in that instance. You will observe on reading 
that law that the national commission has no authority to expend any 
money, and it has joint jurisdiction with the local corporation only in 
matters pertaining especially to the foreign exhibits. I think Mr. 
Sherman and myself are the only two members of the committee here 
this morning who were present when that bill was prepared. It was 
to eliminate or obviate the difficulty that was encountered at Chicago, 
growing out of the conflict of jurisdiction between the National Gov- 
ernment and the corporation created under a State government, that 
the power of the national commission was limited as it was in that act. 

If the people of Oregon want the Government to participate by the 
erection of a building and by making its own exhibit, that is one 
thing. If you want the Government of the United States to authorize 
the exposition, which has already been authorized by the State, and 
accept grounds, as you have provided in this bill, which grounds have 
already been located and selected, and then appropriate money, in 
addition, to aid in the construction of your exhibit buildings, which 
are not Government buildings, of course that would bring } T our expo- 
sition into an entirely different class from the class of expositions for 
which the Government has heretofore only voted to erect its own build- 
ing and make its own exhibit. In that class of expositions, as 1 say, 
the Government is merely participating as the States participate. Of 
course, if that is what is meant, the bill would have to be entirely dif- 
ferent from the bill here. You followed the lines of the bill for the 
Louisiana Purchase Exposition. I would like, and I think the mem- 
bers of the committee would like, to have a more definite understand- 
ing as to what you people contemplate or what you expect the Gov- 
ernment to do in regard to your exposition — whether you want us to 
make it an international one and have the Government of the United 
States invite foreign governments here to participate, and make the 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 19 

Government virtually responsible for the expense of the exposition, 
or whether you want the Government to participate as the States 
participate. 

Mr. Myers. Mr. Scott, who is the president of the corporation, 
would no doubt be in a better position to answer that question than 
I am. 

The Chairman. I make this statement at the outset of the hearing 
so that }^ou gentlemen can direct your attention to it. I did not want 
to interrupt you or interfere with any statement you desire to make 
to the committee, but I have been talking to some members of the 
committee and that seems to be their idea, that there is not a clear 
understanding in the minds of the committee as to the character of 
this exposition and as to the part which you desire the Government 
should take in giving it. You. can go on, of course, and make the 
statement you intended to make, and we will be very glad to hear 
you. Then you- can take up this matter afterwards. 

Mr. Myers. Mr. Chairman, I will say, in reference to the exposi- 
tion, that it practically originated with the Oregon Historical Society 
some two or three years ago, according to my recollection, and a cor- 
poration was formed in the city of Portland, under the laws of the 
State of Oregon, to hold the exposition. They afterwards came to 
the legislature at its last session, in 1903, and asked for an appropria- 
tion from the State of $500,000 to aid and assist the exposition, which 
the legislature appropriated. 

The Chairman. Pardon me. Have you the act appropriating that 
money ? 

Mr. Myers. I have, Mr. Chairman. With the committee's permis- 
sion I will include it in my remarks. 

In 1903 the legislature appropriated this sum of money and directed 
the governor to appoint a commission, which I have the honor to rep- 
resent, for the expenditure of that money. The State reserves in this 
act a certain control over the management of the exposition by the 
private corporation in such a way that there would be no question 
about its being handled for the best interests of all exhibitors or par- 
ties interested. That is practically about the situation. 

The Chairman. Let me suggest right here that there is another 
conflict that would have to be reconciled. If the Government of the 
United States should authorize this exposition, which the State has 
already authorized, the State having reserved the right to control the 
management of the exposition, it seems to me you would have a con- 
flict between State and national authority if this bill is enacted. It 
might lead to some complications that would be very embarrassing to 
the local authorities as well as to the Federal Government. 

Mr. Myers. I would not think so, Mr. Chairman, under the act. 

The Chairman. I do not see how you could very well have an 
exposition managed under the supervision of the State and also at the 
same time under the supervision of the National Government. None 
of these expositions, neither the Centennial, the exposition at Chicago 
nor the exposition at St. Louis, was managed in that way. 

Mr. Williamson. Mr. Chairman, is there not a joint commission 
provided for in this bill? 

The Chairman. No; not in this bill, but the State has already 
authorized the exposition and has reserved to itself the right of super- 
vision. 



20 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION, 

Mr. Williamson. Is there not a provision in this bill for the control 
and management? 

The Chairman. No; only so far as the board of arbitration is con- 
cerned. There is a board of arbitration provided for. 

Mr. Williamson. 1 can not name the section, but I thought that 
was provided for. 

The Chairman. In case of any conflict between the local manage- 
ment and the State commission and the national commission, then the 
board of arbitration can settle that conflict, and their determination 
shall be final. 

Mr. Williamson. What other contingencies could arise? 

The Chairman. I do not know whether this would be valid until the 
State had accepted it. I do not think it would be binding upon the 
State until the legislature had acted upon it. 

Mr. Williamson. Could any question arise as to whether the State 
would accept the appropriation of the Government or not? We are 
here to assure you they would. 

The Chairman. The United States is not making appropriations for 
States. 

Mr. Scott. It is not asked to do so. 

The Chairman. It has no authority to do anything of that kind. 

Mr. Scott. If I may be permitted, Mr. Chairman 

The Chairman. Go ahead. 

Mr. Scott. Our plan was simple. The idea, it seems to me, was 
simple. Possibly we have offered it and dealt with it in not the best- 
way. The idea was to have the United States participate in this 
exposition with its own exhibits, for which provision is made, and 
also to invite the participation of foreign countries in it, particularly 
to the end that we might be able to lay something before the people 
exhibiting this year at St. Louis and induce them to move their exhib- 
its to Portland. 

There can be no conflict, as I conceive, between the State and the 
General Government, for the reason that they will have very little to 
do with each other and nothing at all to do with each others finances 
in this matter. The United States is simply asked to erect a building 
or buildings there and then a sum of money is to be appropriated by 
this bill, with power to cause these exhibits of the United States to 
be made and to assist to any desirable extent in the placing of exhibits 
of foreign countries. It will be wholly under the commissioners of 
the United States appointed by the bill. 

The Chairman. Mr. Scott, is it necessary to have a national commis- 
sion and a Government board both ? That is very expensive machinery. 

Mr. Scott. Perhaps not. 

The Chairman. If you contemplate merely governmental participa- 
tion, then the easiest wa} r and the simplest wa}^ and the most satis- 
factory way for the local exposition management and the State of 
Oregon would be to have the Government buildings and the Govern- 
ment exhibits made under the direct supervision and control of the 
Government board which is provided for in your bill. 

Mr. Scott. Leaving out the commissioners altogether? 

The Chairman. Leaving out the commission entirely. I do not see 
the necessity for the commission. • 

Mr. Scott. Very well. What we want is the result. 

The Chairman. I do not see the necessity for a national commission. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 21 

If you can point out to me or to the committee wherein a national 
commission would be necessary to protect the interests of the Govern- 
ment in addition to the Government board, of course we would be 
very glad to hear what reasons you have for asking for a national 
commission. 

Mr. Scott. The reasons that lay in the minds of the persons who 
drew the bill I can not explain, because I had no hand at all in drawing 
the bill. If, however, a Government board is adequate and there is 
no need of commissioners, by no means let us have commissioners. 

The Chairman. I can not see the necessity of it. 

Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Scott, permit me to make this suggestion. The 
bill seems to be drawn on the idea of having the United States do in this 
case what it has done in the case of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 
and the Chicago exposition. The bill we passed here in regard to the 
Louisiana Purchase Exposition was the inception of the matter. You 
have already begun the work, and the main idea, I thought before I 
read the bill, was to have the Government simply aid in holding that 
exposition and not to begin it and control it. 

Mr. Scott. The idea is to have the Government participate in it. 

The Chairman. That is what I understood from your statement the 
other day. 

Mr. Scott. And then to participate in it in away that would attract 
the attention of foreign countries. A provision is made for notice in 
that way in the bill to foreign nations. 

The Chairman. The idea is to have the Government aid in making 
it a success by erecting its own buildings and exhibits and in this way 
give your exposition national recognition % 

Mr. Scott. The object of the board of arbitration there is to enable 
the United States commissioners or board of control, whoever has 
control of it on the part of the United States, to get together with our 
people as to the selection of a site. 

The Chairman. That is what the board of control under the St. Louis 
bill has power to do, and the national commission has nothing at all to 
do with the selection of a site for Government buildings or the site 
the Government is to occupy. 

Mr. Scott. We did not mention the cooperation for a selection of a 
site. Provision is made for the appointment of four persons to make 
this adjustment to suit the commission or the Government board of 
control. 

The Chairman. I think what the committee will want to do, if it 
does anything with respect to the matter, is to have the Government 
participate in your exposition, which the State has authorized and has by 
legislation expressly reserved^ itself the right of general supervision. 
If you create a national commission, giving it supervision in connection 
with State supervision, you will have a complication, a dual authority 
that may lead to serious trouble. With a provision of this kind it 
would be difficult if not impossible to pass your bill in the House. 

I did not know, until these hearings commenced, that the State has 
authorized the exposition. They have appropriated money for the 
purpose of aiding and carrying it on. This bill contemplates that the 
Government of the United States shall authorize to be done that which 
the State has already authorized. It also provides that the national 
commission shall accept a site, which has already been selected and 
on which work has already been done. The State has also reserved 



22 LEWIS AND CLAEK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

to itself the right, it seems from the statement of Mr. Myers, of general 
supervision over the exposition. The exposition is therefore brought 
within that class of expositions at which the Government of the United 
States has participated only by the erection of its own building and the 
making of its own exhibit. 

Mr. Scott. We do not desire or expect to have any control over 
the Government operations there. That is not our idea, I think. We 
have desired the United States to make its own exhibit and control its 
own affairs exclusively there, but we have reserved to ourselves the 
right to regulate the admissions and one thing and another on the 
grounds, if that is proper. 

Mr. Hermann. Mr. Chairman, according to the view }^ou take of it, 
which I think perhaps is justified by a correct reading of the bill, 
there would not only be a surplus authority there, but there would be 
worse than that — a conflict of authority. 

The Chairman. Undoubtedly. 

Mr. Hermann. But let me make this suggestion: Could not the 
Government commission confine itself within those duties alone which 
would appertain to the expenditure of the Government money and the 
exhibition of the Government property there ? 

The Chairman. The board of control, which is also provided for in 
this bill, would have exclusive charge and jurisdiction of that, just the 
same as it has in St. Louis. The national commission has nothing 
whatever to do with the expenditure of the money appropriated by 
the Government of the United States for the erection of its buildings 
and the making of its exhibit at St. Louis. The national commission 
has no authority over that at all. The Government board is created 
by taking one man from each department of the Government here, 
and it has exclusive charge and jurisdiction. 

Mr. Hermann. I was about to make a suggestion, but you have 
answered it, Mr. Chairman. 

The Chairman. As I said before } r ou came in, I can see no necessity 
for a national commission and a board of control. 

Mr. Hermann. It would be double authority. 

The Chairman. It would be double authority, and it is an expen- 
sive machinery. If the authors of this bill had taken the Buffalo bill 
the} 7 would have found that that comes very much nearer meeting 
what they want than the St. Louis bill, because the St. Louis bill pro- 
vided for a commission of an entirely different class. The Buffalo 
bill applies to that class of expositions that the Government has aided, 
and your exposition, I think, properly falls under that class. There 
was no national commission for any of these expositions except the 
Centennial, the Chicago exposition, and at St. Louis: 

Mr. Hermann. But the Government was represented through the 
officers of its several departments. 

The Chairman. Certainly. The Government was represented by 
this board of control at all the other expositions. 

Mr. Boise. Just let me make one suggestion with reference to it, 
Mr. Chairman, that has come to me during this discussion. Of course 
there is one feature that is distinctive with reference to our exposi- 
tion. This is a Pacific coast exposition, and we want to have the par- 
ticipation as large as possible of the Pacific coast countries therein. 
Japan has already been there with a commissioner and said they would 
take their entire exhibit from St. Louis to Portland and erect a large 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 23 

building there. China has done the same thing, and this bill provides, 
of course, for the commissioners to do it, but we ask for an appropria- 
tion for the purpose of making the exhibits of Alaska, of Hawaii, and 
of the Philippines at Portland. These countries will all have made 
exhibits at St. Louis, and they can be transferred there. 

The Chairman. That is Government participation. That would 
necessarily be included in any appropriation, the same as we provided 
for at St. Louis. We have appropriated money for an Alaskan exhibit 
at St. Louis, but it is all under either a special commissioner of the 
Government or the Government board. Likewise we make an appro- 
priation for the Indian Territory exhibit, and we have also appropri- 
ated money to aid in the Philippine exhibit. 

Mr. Bartlett. And also in the exhibit of the colleges aided by the 
Government. 

The Chairman. Yes; the agricultural colleges. We appropriated 
$100,000 for their use. All of that comes under the Government 
. board of control, and the national commission has absolutely nothing 
to do either with any of the Territorial buildings, which are erected 
under authority of the National Government, or with any of the Ter- 
ritorial exhibits that are made under the authority and by the aid of 
the appropriation of money from the Federal Treasury. That is all 
done either by a special commission, in the case of Alaska and the 
Indian Territory, in which case the law expressly provides that it shall 
be done by direction of the Secretary of the Interior, or by the Gov- 
ernment board. 

Mr. Boise. I was only calling attention to these facts. As long as 
these can be taken care of we are perfectly satisfied. We do not want 
to load the bill down. I want to mention only one other matter. The 
bill provides for the President of the United States to invite these 
foreign countries to participate. Of course, we have already made a con- 
siHerable investigation of that through our commissioner at St. Louis, 
and in discussing this matter with the representatives of foreign coun- 
tries, they have nearly all signified a desire to come, and said they 
would participate. As to the means of accomplishing this, of course, 
if it can be accomplished as suggested by the chairman we are perfectly 
satisfied, but those are the things we are anxious about. 

The Chairman. They can all be accomplished without a national 
commission. Now, in regard to the invitation to foreign nations to 
participate. There is one objection, I fear, the State Department will 
make. Foreign governments, upon the invitation of the United States, 
have already expended more money, or provided for the expenditure 
of more mone} T , for the St. Louis exposition than the governments of 
the world have ever appropriated heretofore for any exposition; and 
whether the State Department or the President will feel justified or 
will not be more or less embarrassed in extending an invitation — that 
is, its formal invitation — to a government for participation, in view of 
the necessity for their making further expenditure in the year follow- 
ing immediately after the St. Louis exposition, is a matter to be con- 
sidered. Then there is this additional fact that has to be taken into 
consideration. When the Government of the United States invites 
foreign governments to participate and make exhibits of their products 
and resources, it is morally bound to furnish the necessary space for 
that exhibit. You can not put any limitation upon them. 

Mr. Scott. And transportation also, perhaps. 



24 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

The Chairman. No; not transportation. One of the difficulties at 
St. Louis with foreign governments is the fact that they have all been 
invited to participate, and there was no restriction or limitation put 
upon the amount of space that they were to have for the purpose of 
making the exhibits which* they had been asked to make. The conse- 
quence has been that their demands for space have been so great that 
the exposition management were obliged to build three additional 
exhibit palaces and increase the size of its ground 100 per cent. 

Mr. Scott. And hence exhaust their fund? 

The Chairman. They have exhausted their fund and, of course, it 
creates a moral obligation on the part of the Government to make that 
good in some way, on account of the expense incurred by reason of 
the exhibits that are being made by foreign governments upon the 
invitation of our Government. 

Mr. Boise. In answer to just one proposition submitted by the 
chairman I want to say that as to the embarrassment that the Secre- 
tary or the President might feel with reference to the matter, the 
President of the United States has already in his message stated that 
this exposition is worthy of national recognition and national aid. I 
would like to quote his words. He says: 

The Lewis and Clark expedition across the continent marked the beginning of the 
process of exploration and colonization which thrust our national boundaries to the 
Pacific. The acquisition of the Oregon country, including the present States of Ore- 
gon, Washington, and Idaho — 

And it also included part of Montana and Wyoming — 

was a fact of immense importance in our history, first giving us our place on the 
Pacific seaboard, and making ready the way of our ascendancy in the commerce of 
the greatest of the oceans. The centennial of our establishment on the west coast 
by the expedition of Lewis and Clark is to be celebrated at Portland, Oreg., by an 
exposition in the summer of 1905, and this event should receive recognition and sup- 
port from the National Government. 

I therefore say that the Government, so far as concerns its hesitancy, 
has already committed itself to the point that the exposition should 
receive national recognition and support, and the President has assured 
us that he wants to see us have it, and that he wants to invite the for- 
eign countries to participate. He has told us that. 

The Chairman. If the committee should follow out the suggestion 
made by you gentlemen at the hearing* the other day and this morning, 
we would be comptying strictly with the President's message by recog- 
nizing the exposition and appropriating money for the erection of 
buildings and an exhibit, and we would be doing, in fact, all that has 
been asked. It seems to me that the participation by the foreign gov- 
ernments that are now at St. Louis could be obtained through your 
State commission, if the Government of the United States recognizes 
your exposition to the extent of appropriating money for its own 
buildings and its own exhibit there. Of course, it makes it to that 
extent a national exposition, and through your State commission 
these invitations could be extended to the governments that are 
exhibiting at St. Louis. I can readily see that there may be some 
embarrassment felt on the part of the executive department of the 
Government in extending these invitations following immediately upon 
the courteous reception which our invitations to foreign governments 
to participate at St. Louis have received. 

Mr. Williamson. I think it would be proper that we should do that. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 25 

The Chairman. A plan could probably be devised whereby invita- 
tions can be extended through }^our local association and through the 
State commission, and as much foreign participation could be secured 
in that way as if the Government of the United States should again 
send invitations to the heads of the governments. Of course an invi- 
tation from our Government has to go to foreign governments. In 
the way I suggest, they would go through their own commissioners 
that are now here. 

Mr. Hermann. But, Mr. Chairman, what would prevent the Secre- 
tary of State, with all propriety and international etiquette, extending 
the invitation on behalf of the people of the United States, based upon 
the action of Congress and based upon the position taken by the 
Executive in the approval of the enterprise? 

The Chairman. I do not know. I say I would want to consult the 
State Department in regard to it. 

Mr. Boise. There is another suggestion I wish to make, Mr. Chair- 
man, right in connection with that. B} T reason of the fact that they 
have already 1- prepared their exhibits — they are now in this country, 
or they have alread}^ made arrangements to come here — and it would 
be a matter of insignificant expense, comparatively speaking, for them 
to transfer only parts of their exhibits, which would be all we want 
anyway. 

The Chairman. You could not begin to accommodate all their 
exhibits. 

Mr. Boise. No; we would not expect to do that at all; but I mean 
in a small way this participation could come about, and it would not 
entail a large expenditure on those governments or embarrass them to 
do it. I think our commissioner, in fact, has told us that nearly every 
one of these commissions, in the expenditure of their money from 
abroad, has been endeavoring to hold back a little, as a contingency 
might arise, and it would take very little to move what we want there. 

Mr. Porter. I would like very much to hear from Mr. Myers as to 
what provision has been made for the reception of such exhibits from 
foreign countries and the display of them. 

The Chairman. Mr. Myers, you may go on with your statement. 

Mr. Myers. I will go on with my statement and then we can take 
up this matter afterwards. I wish to submit this statement to the 
committee for your consideration. 

I herewith submit for your consideration the following facts for a 
national appropriation for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, 
to be held in Portland, Oreg., in 1905: 

When the United States organized a Territorial government over 
Oregon it came into possession of some 11,000 or 12,000 white persons, 
living for the most part west of the Cascade Mountains. Said inhabit- 
ants were in possession of said Oregon Territory, which then included 
what are now the States of Washington, Idaho, Montana, part of 
Wyoming, and all of the State of Oregon, comprising about 450,000 
square miles, without any aid or support from the Government of the 
United States, or without any military protection to defend themselves 
against any emergency which might have arisen under the savage con- 
ditions which then existed in said country. These people are the 
pioneers whom every native son and daughter of the West love and 
respect, and 1 believe that these pioneers have the love and respect of 
every citizen of the United States. 



26 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 



The following table compares the products of the Oregon country 
at the taking of its first census in 1850 with the totals of the census of 
1900 and shows the enormous growth of the intervening fifty years: 



Product. 


1850. 


1900. 


Wheat 






211 , 543 
106 

61, 214 

2,918 

91, 326 


41,737,683 


Rye 




do 


186, 459 






do... 


15, 490, 132 
690, 357 
8, 876, 056 
6, 160, 410 
9,743 
3, 045, 244 
21, 548, 277 






...do... 






...do.... 






.. do... 






...do... 




Hay 






373 

8 
29, 686 

$1, 876, 189 
$1, 271 

$2, 236, 640 








Wool 




do 


39, 949, 786 








$83, 106, 390 






do 


$2, 317, 735 






do.... 


$175, 000, 000 





I herewith submit a report from the Manufacturers' Association 
and the Chamber of Commerce from the city of Portland, in the State 
of Oregon, of the natural resources of that State for the year 1903, as 
follows: 

Wheat, corn, hay, potatoes, hops, barley, vegetables, etc $76,000,000 

Wool and mohair 3, 000, 000 

Sales of stock 12, 500, 000 

Butter, cheese, and milk 4, 200, 000 

Poultry and eggs 4, 250, 000 

Fruits 3, 000, 000 

Columbia River salmon pack, Oregon coast streams and bays fish and 

shellfish, consumed locally and shipped abroad - 3, 500, 000 

Timber and forest products, poles, ties, cordwood, hard wood, etc. (not 

included in statistics of manufacturers) 12, 000, 000 

Manufactures, including lumber 83, 937, 000 

Gold, silver, borax, coal, etc 6, 000, 000 

Total output of Oregon farms, orchards, ranges, and factories 208, 387, 000 

The above statement will indicate something of the growth of the 
Oregon country for the past fifty years. 

That I believe the immensity of the trans-Pacific world and the 
opportunity it presents to us must make a deep impression upon all 
Americans. Asia and Oceania comprise more than 21,000,000 square 
miles, or over one-third of the total area of the earth. The popula- 
tion is nearly 850,000,000, or more than one-half of that of the world. 
China and its dependencies, Japan, Asiatic Russia, and Korea have 
over 435,000,000 inhabitants, or five times the total population of the 
United States and its possessions. Asia and the islands of the Pacific 
annually buy and sell goods valued at $2,900,000,000; a larger amount 
by $400,000,000 than the total of the imports and exports at San Fran- 
cisco in the forty-seven years between July 1, 1855, and June 30, 1902. 
If the United States should buy from Asia and Oceania all its imports 
and sell to Asia and Oceania all it exports, it w T ould exhaust the sum 
total of its foreign commerce, and Asia and Oceania, to meet their 
requirements, would have to go into the other markets of the world 
with over $600,000,000 worth of commodities a year. 

In other words, Asia and Oceania can * 4 buy and sell" the United 
States, as the saying is, without seriously disturbing the equilibrium 
of their commerce. In its relation to this vast trade field, the United 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 27 

States is now practically an unimportant factor. Of its total imports, 
a little over 11 per cent comes from Asia and li per cent from Oceania. 
Of its exports, Asia takes 4i per cent and Oceania not quite 2^ per cent. 
The possibilities that are open to the United States in the Orient are 
illustrated by the simple citation that if all the wheat raised west of 
the Mississippi River were ground into flour for the Chinese trade the 
consumption per Chinaman would not exceed one pancake per month. 

That immense area lying west of the Mississippi River occupies a far 
more important position in the minds of Americans than it did when 
sixty years ago the provisional government of the Oregon country was 
appealing to Congress for recognition. There are nearly 25,000,000 
people now where there were less than 2,000,000 fifty-three years ago. 

Over 200,000,000 acres are under cultivation to-day, against 7,000,000 
in 1850. Farm values in the West in 1900 are 33 times greater than 
they were in 1850, and in the same period the annual grain used had 
grown from 81,000,000 bushels to nearly 2,400,000,000 bushels, and 
manufactures had increased fifty fold. Individual deposits in the 
national banks west of the Mississippi River in September, 1903, were 
nearly 1700,000,000, as against less than $10,000,000 for that region 
in 1850. 

The Lewis and Clark Centennial is an exposition of the entire Pacific 
coast States and of practically all States west of the Rocky Mountains. 
The interests of all are identical, all of which established the United 
States on the Pacific Ocean and made it a world power. 

The following copy from President Roosevelt's message to the Fifty- 
eighth Congress is as follows: 

The expedition of Lewis and Clark across the continent marked the beginning of 
the process of exploration and colonization which thrust our national boundaries to 
the Pacific. The acquisition of the Oregon country, including the present States of 
Oregon and Washington, was a fact of immense importance in our history, first giv- 
ing us our place on the Pacific seaboard and making ready the way for our ascend- 
ancy in the commerce of the greatest of the oceans. The centennial of our establish- 
ment upon the western coast by the expedition of Lewis and Clark is to be celebrated 
at Portland, Oreg., by an exposition in the summer of 1905, and this event should 
receive recognition and support from the National Government^ 

Also the following resolution was passed unanimously by the National 
Democratic Committee Januar}^ 12, 1901, at Washington City: 

Whereas it has been due chiefly to the far-seeing purposes of eminent Democratic 
statesmen that the territorial boundaries of the United States have been extended, 
from the limits that marked them at the time of the formation of the Constitution, 
beyond the Mississippi and across the continent to the Pacific Ocean; and 

Whereas it was Thomas Jefferson, 'apostle of American Democracy and father of 
the Democratic party, who carried through the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, 
which brought to us the country from the Mississippi Kiver to the Rocky Mountains; 
and 

Whereas it was Thomas Jefferson also who originated and provided the means for 
the Lewis and Clark expedition, through which, followed by enterprise of our pio- 
neers, the domain of the United States was extended from the Rocky Mountains to 
the Pacific Ocean, from whose ports we may now have controlling influence in the 
commerce of the Orient: Therefore, 

Resolved, 'That we recur with feelings of patriotic satisf action to these achievements 
of Democracy and commend the exposition to be held in 1904 at St. Louis, Mo., and 
in 1905 at Portland, Oreg., in commemoration of these actions and events, to the atten- 
tion of the people of the United States. 

These indorsements from the heads of both the great political par- 
ties certainly leaves no doubt of the great interest for a proper con- 
sideration to be given to the Lewis and Clark Exposition by the 
National Government. 



28 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

That in view of the fact that the Government of the United States 
is not now getting its part of the immense trade of the oriental coun- 
tries, we believe this exposition offers an opportunity that will be of 
great educational advantage to every citizen of the United States to 
that end, and that an early exploration is vastly important to obtain 
for this Government its part of said trade that is now open to all the 
powers of the world. Should England pass a tariff law prohibiting 
the American manufacturer from competing with their manufacturers 
there would certainly be no other market open to the American trade 
to dispose of our surplus equal to the oriental country. 

The commission which I have the honor to represent for the State 
of Oregon is appointed by the governor of said State appropriating 
$500,000 for the aid of the Lewis and Clark Exposition and is non- 
political. 

It is composed of 11 members, 5 of them Republicans and 6 
Democrats. 

Before we came to Washington, we were told of the different men 
that make up this committee. We came here to Washington and be- 
came acquainted with you gentlemen. We find you are a splendid 
lot of citizens. You want to do everything you can and there is no 
trouble whatever in approaching you. There are no horns or thorns 
about you. It is a fact that if we expect to increase our trade in the 
oriental countries, we must become acquainted with the conditions 
and the people in those countries, in order to do business. There 
certainly is no way on earth by which you can arrange an acquaint- 
ance with the business men of those countries better than through an 
exposition. I am satisfied that the trade which to-da} 7 is increasing 
very rapidly from the city of Portland to oriental countries, has been 
brought about by intercourse and closer acquaintance and relation- 
ship with these people. 

You are responsible, as the Congress of the United States, to the 
people for a market for our surplus, if it can be provided. If we 
accumulate in this country more from our manufactures than we con- 
sume, we must sell this surplus. Would it hurt that vast territory, 
which has never appealed to Congress for saciy assistance in this direc- 
tion before, or any portion of the United States, to have an opportu- 
nity to go to a western exposition following the St. Louis Exposition, 
which will do us a great amount of good in that way, and become 
better acquainted with the business men in China, in Japan, in the 
oceanic country, and all through that territory ? It is certainly not a 
large amount that we ask for a purpose of that kind. 

List of steamships now connected with the oriental trade from Portland, Oreg. 

Tons capacity. 

Indrasamha 8, 500 

Lothian 8, 000 

Indrapura 8, 000 

Indravelli 8, 000 

Athol 7, 500 

Ching Wo 6, 200 

Clavering 5, 500 

Total 51, 700 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 29 

DESCRIPTION OF THE FLEET. 

Athol — British steamer, built at Glasgow in 1901. Gross tonnage, 4,647; net, 3,031. 
Length, 385.5 feet; beam, 48.7 feet; depth of hold, 27.3 feet." Triple compound 
engines, 27,43,72 inches diameter by 48 inches stroke. Carrying capacity, 7,500 
tons. 

Lothian. — British steamer, built at Glasgow in 1902. Gross tonnage, 4,959; net, 
3,223. Length, 385.5 feet; beam, 50.2 feet; depth of hold, 28.5 feet. Triple compound 
engines, 27-43-72 inches diameter by 48 inches stroke. Carrying capacity, 8,000 
tons. 

Ching Wo. — British steamer, built at Belfast in 1894. Gross tonnage, 3,883; net, 
2,517 tons. Length, 370 feet; beam, 45.3 feet; depth of hold, 27 feet. Triple com- 
pound engines, 26-42-71 inches diameter bv 48 inches stroke. Carrying capacity, 
6,200 tons. 

Clavering. — British steamer, built at Belfast in 1888. Gross tonnage, 3,328; net, 
2,155 tons. Length, 361.7 feet; beam, 42.7 feet; depth of hold, 26.4 feet. Engines, 
25J-43-67| inches diameter of cylinder; 48-inch stroke. Carrying capacity, 5,500 
tons. 

Indrasamha. — British steamer, built at Glasgow in 1901. Gross tonnage, 5,197; net, 
3,367 tons. Length, 410 feet; beam, 49.3 feet; depth of hold, 29.6 feet. Engines, 
triple compound, "26-44-73 inches diameter by 48 inches stroke. Carrying capacity, 
8,500 tons. 

Indrapura. — British steamer, built at Glasgow in 1897. Gross tonnage, 4,899 tons; 
net, 3,152 tons. Length, 400 feet; beam, 49.2 feet; depth of hold, 28.3 feet. Engines, 
triple compound, 26-44-73 inches by 48 inches stroke. Carrying capacity, 8,000 tons. 

Indravelli. — British steamer, built at Glasgow in 1897. Gross tonnage, 4,899 tons; 
net, 3, 154 tons. Length, 400 feet; beam, 49.2 feet; depth of hold, 28.3 feet. Engines, 
triple compound, 26-44-73 inches diameter; 48-inch stroke. Carrying capacity, 
800 tons. 

I herewith submit article from the Morning Oregonian of January 
11, 1904, at Portland, Oreg.: 

The first big exhibit from the Far East for the St. Louis Exposition is due at 
Portland in about ten days on the Portland and Asiatic liner Indrasamha. It con- 
sists of over 2,000 tons of Philippine products, old cannon, and materials for building 
a typical Philippine village at St. Louis. It is a very interesting item on the big 
liner's manifest, not only for its historic value, but on account of its size. As there 
is great bulk as well as weight to the consignment, it will require a greater number 
of cars than would be needed for ordinary freight and will require five special trains 
of about 30 cars each to haul across the continent. It will be rushed aboard these 
trains immediately on arrival and started eastward with as little delay as possible. 

This big item is not the only ' ' special-train ' ' consignment that is coming on the big 
liner, for she also has aboard the largest consignment of silk ever brought to this port. 
It is valued at nearly $1,000,000 and for this reason will be given precedence over the 
other freight and sent out by special express train. The entire cargo of the Indrasamha 
is the largest and most valuable that has ever come to this port. From the Philip- 
pines alone there is over 100 tons of freight in addition to the World's Fair exhibit, 
and the freight from Hongkong and Japanese ports brings the total up to nearly 
8,000 tons, valued at over $1,000,000. The Indrapura has previously held the record 
ior big inward cargoes, but the one now coming on the Indrasamha will be several 
hundred tons greater than that of the Indrapura. 

While the Portland and Asiatic liners have always sailed with full outward cargoes 
there has until within the past few months been some difficulty in securing inward 
cargoes. Fortunately for Portland, the energetic work of the Portland and Asiatic 
officials is beginning to show results, and from present indications all of the " Indras ' ' 
on the line will bring good cargoes inward. The China commercial steamers which 
are to run in connection with the Portland and Asiatic liners will on account of their 
Central American business bring very little, if any, inward cargo, so that practically 
all of the inward business must be taken care of by the Portland and Asiatic steam- 
ers. In order to keep up with the growth of this business additional steamers will 
be placed on the route as they are needed. . The Indrasamha is expected to sail on 
her outward trip February 1. A full outward cargo is already engaged. 

The foregoing statement is submitted with references to the 
address of Senator Mitchell, delivered in the United States Senate; 
address of Senator Fulton, delivered in the United States Senate; 



30 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

statements of Hon. H. W. Scott, president of the Lewis and Clark 
Exposition; Hon. W. L. Boise, representing the commercial organiza- 
tions of Portland, Oreg., and any other information furnished to this 
committee. The above statements I take pleasure in referring the 
committee to for further information in the matter of the appropria- 
tion by the National Government for the Lewis and Clark Exposi- 
tion, to be held in Portland May 1 to November 1, 1905. 

The Chairman. I think, Mr. Myers, I am justified in saying that, so 
far as the importance of the event and the possible benefits to be 
derived from the exposition are concerned, it has sufficiently merited 
participation on the part of the United States. The difficulty, in my 
mind and in the minds of many members of the committee, is in regard 
to these things that I suggested at the outset of the hearing. I availed 
myself of that opportunity, so that we might arrive at some common 
understanding as to the authority under which the exposition is to be 
given and just what you expect the United States to do. Your bill 
and your statements are not consistent. It was for that reason that I 
made the statement I did make. You contemplate here giving an 
exposition, under joint authority of the State and the United States, 
and that is something the Government has never done. 

Mr. Rodenberg. Is there any intention on the part of the city of 
Portland,' as a city, to issue bonds to raise money to assist in this 
exposition ? 

Mr. Myers. We can not do so, Mr. Rodenberg, under the constitu- 
tion of the State. It is prohibited. 

Mr. Rodenberg. It is prohibited by your constitution ? 

Mr. Myers. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Harrison. Mr. Myers has said that this exposition was intended 
to exhibit the advance of the whole Western country. What part, if 
any, does the State of California intend to take in it ? 

Mr. Myers. The State of California has already made an appro- 
priation. 

Mr. Harrison. Of a considerable amount? 

Mr. Myers. Yes; I think so. Mr. Wynn, member of this commit- 
tee from that State, can tell you what it is. 1 do not remember the 
exact amount. 

Mr. Wynn. I do not know myself, Mr. Chairman, what action 
California as a State has taken in the matter, except that I do know 
that all the commercial bodies of California, including the Chamber 
of Commerce, Manufacturers' Association, and Merchants' Exchange, 
are heartily in favor of the exposition. 

Mr. Myers. It seems to be a difficult question to settle about the 
amount of money required and the method of expending this amount. 
I feel this way about the sum of money we are asking for. It looks 
large, and perhaps it is large, in proportion to the amount of money 
which we have already raised for the exposition; but, gentlemen, the 
country in which we live is not populated like the St. Louis country. 
You must remember that on the west we have the Pacific Ocean, 
which furnishes us no support whatever toward the exposition. On 
the south we have Nevada, with a very small population — some 30,000 
or 40,000. On the east we have Idaho, which has a small population 
in proportion to its area. Perhaps the State of Washington is in the 
best situation. It has a greater population, by 200,000 or 250,000, 
than any of these other States. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 31 

Mr. Rodenberg. Still, according to your statement, you have an 
abundance of wealth in that section of the country. 

Mr. Myers. Yes, in proportion to our population, we have; but 
the trouble is we have not the population. Therefore we must ask 
of } t ou all the help }^ou can give us in this matter. 

Mr. Rodenberg. What is the population of the citv of Portland? 

Mr. Myers. From 125,000 to 140,000, according to the last report, 

The Chairman. Have you taken into consideration, Mr. Myers, the 
purposes for which you ask this money? You are asking for more 
than twice as much as the Government has appropriated for the same 
purpose at St. Louis. 

Mr. Myers. Mr. Chairman, 1 have looked over this matter of the 
appropriation, and I find that the Government appropriated 16,188,000 
for the St. Louis Exposition upon a capital of $10,000,000, which is 
61.88 per cent. 

The Chairman. As a matter of fact, however, we have appropriated 
for St. Louis $1,188,000 for identically the same purpose for which 
you ask an appropriation of $2,125,000, according to } 7 our statements 
and according to your bill, as I read it. 

Mr. Myers. You appropriated $5,000,000 for the purposes of the 
exhibit. 

The Chairman. Yes; we gave that to the exposition company. You 
are not asking any aid for the exposition company. You are asking 
us to defray the expenses of the Government buildings and the mak- 
ing of the Government exhibits, including the exhibits of the 
Territories. 

Mr. Myers. Perhaps the bill might properly be amended in that 
direction. We undoubtedly need all the aid we have asked. 

The Chairman. There is undoubtedly some difficulty in the way of 
reconciling the bill with the statements in respect to the participation 
which you expect the Government to take. 

Mr. Myers. 1 am satisfied, Mr. Chairman, with any change or 
amendment that is necessary to make the bill conform to the best 
interests of all concerned. I wish to say that for the time I am giv- 
ing to this exposition I receive no compensation whatever, and it 
requires a lot of work to care for the amount of appropriation we 
ha^e. Our State paj 7 s us nothing, and I am doing this for the interest 
of my county. 

The Chairman. There is no doubt as to the patriotism of the peo- 
ple of Oregon in the matter. We are not questioning that at all. 

Mr. Sherman. They are for the old flag and an appropriation. 

Mr. Myers. Gentlemen, I hope you will give us the full amount of 
this appropriation, if possible. 

The Chairman. Suppose, in the judgment of this committee, it 
should be deemed unnecessary to appropriate the amount you ask in 
order to enable the Government to take the part that you expect it to 
take? 

Mr. Myers. How is that, Mr. Chairman? 

The Chairman. I say, suppose the gentlemen constituting the board 
of control at St. Louis, whom 1 think the committee would want to 
consult as to the amount of money necessary to be appropriated for 
Government participation, should find that the amount that you ask 
us to appropriate is not necessary ? 



32 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

Mr. Rodenberg. It would be just simply a transfer of the Govern- 
ment exhibit at St. Louis, would it not? 

The Chairman. Of course, they could not accommodate the entire 
Government exhibit at St. Louis. 

Mr. Rodenberg. I mean a portion of it. 

Mr. Porter. I would like to ask again the question that I asked 
before as to the provision made for the exhibits of foreign govern- 
ments. 

Mr. Myers. There are no provisions made at this time. 

Mr. Porter. Is there no arrangement provided in your plan? 

The Chairman. For space for foreign buildings ? 

Mr. Porter. Not foreign buildings. They are not expected to pul 
up buildings for the foreign governments. They are expected to take 
the foreign exhibits. Where are they going to display them? 

Mr. Myers. Mr. Chairman, that is one of the important things in 
which we want the Government to aid us — with those buildings. 

Mr. Porter. You ask us explicitly for two buildings, one of $250,000, 
another of $250,000, and $100,000 more for statuary, amounting to 
$600,000. The total appropriation asked for is $2,125,000. . That would 
leave $1,525,000. I asked privately, and they sa}^ that out of that 
would be paid the exhibits from Alaska, from the Indian Territory, 
from the Philippines, from Hawaii, etc. 

The Chairman. Of course we would have to segregate so much of 
the appropriation for each Territory. 

Mr. Porter. Precisely; but the amount is $1,525,000. You say the 
whole exhibit of St. Louis is made for $1,488,000? 

The Chairman. That includes Territorial exhibits and everything. 

Mr. Scott. We do not want more money, Mr. Chairman, than is 
necessary to carry out the objects we have in view. First, we wan' 
the participation of the United States. Next, we request the United 
States to make such provision as will enable us to secure the participa- 
tion of foreign countries, and particularly the transfer of some part 
of the exhibits at St. Louis to Portland. 

The Chairman. Of course, it is understood, Mr. Scott, that if for- 
eign governments transfer their exhibits they would have to defra}^ 
that expense themselves. We can not be expected to defray the 
expense of transporting their exhibits. 

Mr. Rodenberg. It strikes me it ought not be a very difficult mat- 
ter to arrive at an intelligent estimate of the cost of transferring a 
part of those exhibits. 

The Chairman. The Government will not pay that cost in any event. 

Mr. Rodenberg. No; I understand. I mean the appropriation by 
this Government necessary for its own exhibits. It ought not to be a 
difficult matter to arrive at what the cost would be. 

The Chairman. A good deal of that $1,488,000 has been expended 
in the assembling of the Government exhibits. We have got it assem- 
bled there and it would simply mean the transfer of the exhibits to 
Oregon and the erection of a building. 

Mr. Scott. Does that include the erecting of the buildings in St. 
Louis ? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Scott. And the placing of the exhibits? 

The Chairman. Yes; $1,488,000 is the total we have appropriated 
for the Government exhibits and the exhibits from all the Territories. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 33 

Now, Mr. -Myers, there is another matter to which 1 want to call 
your attention, because it is an important question. Can you cite the 
committee to any precedent where the Government has appropriated 
money out of its Treasury for the erection of a permanent structure 
within the jurisdiction of a State, the use of which is to be entirely 
either by the State or by a private corporation or society organized 
within the State? 

Mr. Myers. I think not, Mr. Chairman. 

The Chairman. What do you think of establishing a precedent of 
that kind? 

Mr. Rodenberg. Do } t ou have reference to this part of the preamble 
of the bill: 4i And to provide and assist in the erection of a memorial 
building in said city of Portland, to be known as the Lewis and Clark 
memorial building?" 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Myers. Of course it is sentiment to a certain extent; but, Mr. 
Chairman, the erecting and furnishing of this building is certainly of 
great value to the western country. We ought to have something of 
that kind, and we have not, on account of the distance we are from the 
seat of government here; but if the Government enters into the con- 
struction and furnishing of a building of that kind I believe the con- 
trol ought to be placed in the custody of the superintendent of public 
buildings within the city of Portland, under the Government. I 
believe that would be the right and proper thing to do. 

The Chairman. If we establish a precedent of that kind, wlw could 
not the people of New Orleans come to Congress and with equal, if 
not greater, propriety ask us to appropriate money for the erection of a 
memorial hall to commemorate the transfer of the sovereignty of France 
over the territoiy.of Louisiana, an event of great international impor- 
tance. And would it not follow, from one step to another, from one 
thing to another, until the Government would be asked to erect build- 
ings for the use and benefit of local societies? 

Mr. Myers. It is a fact, Mr. Chairman, that the Oregon pioneers 
who went into that country without any protection whatever, and 
undoubtedly contended with perhaps the greatest hardships that ever 
were encountered on an}- journey, are certainly entitled, if possible, 
by this Government to consideration. The memorial building which 
this bill proposes is practically a memorial to the pioneer. It is for 
him. 

The Chairman. Do you appreciate how difficult it is to even secure 
from Congress appropriations for the erection of the necessary public 
buildings for the use of the Government itself? 

Mr. Myers. I know something of it, Mr. Chairman, for I know of 
some efforts we have had to contend with. 

The Chairman. It would be impossible to get an appropriation for 
a permanent structure to be occupied by any historical society or by 
any State. 

Mr. Boise. Mr. Chairman, would this be the proper committee to 
make an appropriation for memorials? 

The Chairman. Hardly. I presume, however, we would have juris- 
diction on account of the exposition. 

Mr. Myers. The Senate committee took that matter under consid- 

l & c 3 



34 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

eration, and I think they practically arrived at it through a considera- 
tion for the pioneer. 

The Chairman. There are many things by which yon might arrive 
at a conclusion that in the minds of some people would justify the 
appropriation of mone} T for buildings of this character not intended 
for the use of the Government, and those things would hereafter be 
presented on the ground that we had already established this precedent. 

Mr. Myers. Mr. Chairman, it would be to some extent of use and 
value to the Government for the reason that the Government has a 
large amount of interest in the forests, the minerals, and the harbors 
throughout that county. The maps and charts within this building 
would be of value, undoubtedly, to Government officers. 

Mr. Wynn. Mr. Chairman, did the United States Government ever 
make an appropriation for a purpose of this kind? 

The Chairman. Never outside the city of Washington. 

Mr. Wynn. I am personally in favor of helping Oregon in their 
petition for the exposition. We have a great pioneer country out in 
California, and we might like to have a memorial building also. So it 
is a matter that requires a great deal of consideration. It might estab- 
lish a precedent here in this country, and we might be compelled to 
erect memorial buildings all over the United States. 

Mr. Bartlett. Virginia would probably want one for the transfer 
of the great Northwest Territory. 

The Chairman. Is there anything further, gentlemen? 

Mr. Hamlin. I want to make a suggestion in the nature of an inquiry, 
going back to the original proposition. If the scheme and plan is to 
only participate in this exposition by the erection of buildings neces- 
sary to make the Government exhibits and that plan is adopted, would 
the Government have any authority to appropriate any other money 
than that necessary to carry out that part of the scheme? 

The Chairman. That question was discussed at great length when 
the Government made its appropriation to aid in the Centennial Expo- 
sition, and the conclusion of Congress at that time was that Congress 
had no authority to make the general appropriation. They therefore 
required the return to the Government of this money, or so much 
thereof as the net receipts of the exposition would justify. 

Mr. Hamlin. That is the same arrangement that was made with St. 
Louis? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Hamlin. A partnership. 

The Chairman. And the Centennial Exposition, I am glad to say, 
returned every dollar the United States appropriated. 

Mr. Kodenberg. Chicago did not. 

The Chairman. No; Chicago had a flat appropriation of $2,500,000. 

Mr. Howell. What do you mean by a flat appropriation? 

The Chairman. A fixed sum was just simply given to them. 

Mr. Myers. Mr. Chairman, that will suit us — just a flat appropria- 
tion. 

Mr. Hamlin. The point I was making was, if we onty participate, 
could we, if we wanted to do so, make a flat appropriation to this 
enterprise? 

The Chairman. I presume the precedent established at Chicago 
would justify it. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 35 

STATEMENT OF HON. BINGER HERMANN, REPRESENTATIVE 

FROM OREGON. 

Mr. Hermann. Mr. Chairman, I wish to make a few suggestions. 

The Chairman. We will be very glad to hear from any member of 
the delegation from Oregon or from Washington. 

Mr. Hermann. I wish to say, as one of the representatives of the 
great Oregon country, that 1 feel under great and personal obligation 
to you, sir, for the excellent suggestions you have made. We had 
better hear these suggestions and this advice here in the committee and 
among ourselves than to hear them at the last moment on the floor of 
the House. That has been my experience. I am satisfied that they 
will go far, also, to the extent of receiving our kindest consideration, 
and especially the consideration of those who are authorized to speak 
for the exposition in that country. But, Mr. Chairman, let me address 
myself just for a moment now to the merits of the matter and to the 
responsibility that is imposed upon us as representatives of the people 
so far as this exposition is concerned. 

If this country and this Congress had not lent its liberality and 
shown its disposition to recognize other expositions in the years gone 
by, and if this were the first time that any people had come before 
Congress asking what we are asking, I should feel a hesitancy, sir, in 
coming even before this committee under the same circumstances, and 
I am assured that this sentiment is shared in by all our people; but 
when I look at the record of the country, the record of this Congress 
particularly, I find that we have aided in the last half century at 
least twenty-one different expositions, among them ten foreign expo- 
sitions — I may say twelve, because in Paris we have in different years 
appropriated liberally for three different expositions — in the aggregate 
more than $2,000,000 just for the displa}^ of our exhibits in the city of 
Paris in the three different expositions there. In our own country we 
have had at least ten different expositions in the various States and 
large cities. 

The Chairman. Will you pardon an interruption there, Mr. 
Hermann? 

Mr. Hermann. Yes. 

The Chairman. In line with that thought and to show that the 
Government of the United States is justified -in making these appro- 
priations, I will say that foreign governments have spent in this coun- 
try, in appropriations made to defray the expense of their exhibits at 
Chicago and St. Louis, almost $15,000,000. 

Mr. Hermann. And largely because of our liberality in the first 
instance in so generously displaying our exhibits in their various capi- 
tals, and it is only in point with what I am now addressing the com- 
mittee upon. 

Now, sir, most of the exhibits in our own country and all of the 
exhibits in the foreign countries were for the purpose of displa}^ of 
the industrial resources and the material advancement of the different 
countries. There are but three exceptions in this country. 

First in the order in which the}^ received recognition in Congress 
was the Centennial in 1876 at Philadelphia. Next was the Columbian 
Exposition in 1893. Thirdly, is that which is to take place this pres- 
ent year in the city of St. Louis. The first, speaking of them now in 
their historical order, was the four hundredth anniversar}^ of the dis- 



36 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

covery of our country. That was celebrated in pomp in the city of 
Chicago. Secondly, was that of the anniversary of the Declaration of 
Independence of our birth as a nation in the city of Philadelphia. No 
one would object, and all the nation seems to have unanimously con- 
curred in the propriety of those celebrations. Thirdly, we come to 
the centennial anniversary of our great territorial expansion from the 
waters of the Mississippi to the summit of the Rocky Mountains, 
embracing an enormous area, comparison of which with the area of 
nations and States is unnecessary for me to make, as these illustrations 
are familiar to you. 

That great event is to be celebrated this year in the city of St. Louis. 
It is not only a celebration of territorial acquisition under the great 
men of whom Jefferson was the leader, and who took part with the 
foster fathers of that great scheme, but it is also a displa}^ of the 
material advancement and resource of this country. 

Now, we come to the fourth great event in the matter of centennial 
anniversaries, especially in the matter of territorial expansion of this 
country, the last, I may say, so far as the continent is concerned, and 
that is the cession to the United States of all the territory westward 
of the summit of the Rocky Mountains and north of the forty-second 
degree of north latitude. 

This last is different from anything which has preceded it. There 
is nothing like it in all the annals of this county. In all other sec- 
tions they came to us by purchase, and in one instance following a war. 
In this case we owe the cession entirely to the occupancy of American 
pioneers. The discovery of Lewis and Clark I count, sir, of no little 
moment in the history of this country so far as it is made a basis for 
our title to the Oregon country. 

Captain Gray entered the Columbia River in 1792, passed up a few 
miles and then descended out onto the high seas again. It was not 
until nearly thirteen years later that an American foot pressed any soil 
west of the Rocky Mountains. Had any other nation intervened in 
the meanwhile with settlement and occupancy, this country could have 
laid no claim in the chain of title upon the basis of Captain Gray's 
discovery. Consequently, for all that period of time we were prac- 
tically without any element of title. In 1804, 1805, and 1806 there 
came to us Lewis and Clark under the authority, remember, of the 
Government, by direct authority of Congress, under the direction of 
the President of the United States, with full and complete govern- 
mental authority. They went there for the specific purpose, too, to 
report upon that country, which at that time had come under our jur- 
isdiction by virtue of the treaty with Napoleon. Captain Gray did 
not represent the Government. He was the master of a sailing craft 
looking out for traffic and trade in the fur business especially, and 
discovered the Columbia River by accident. 

That was our first occupancy and possession. Discovery without pos- 
session amounts to naught unless the discovery is immediately followed 
up. Otherwise the Mississippi River and the great Mississippi Valley 
would to-day belong to Spain if it depended merely upon the item of 
discovery, because it was a Spaniard who first set his foot on that soil, 
and, indeed, whose body was interred in the waters as a last resting 
place about one hundred years before La Salle, the French discoverer, 
descended the waters of the river and planted the colors of France 
near Biloxi, at the mouth; but France immediately followed up that 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 37 

discover} 7 of La Salle and proclaimed to all the world possession of 
this country under the arms and colors of France. Colonization at 
once followed, and from that day up to the time we acquired posses- 
sion, or until it went into the hands of Spain and then subsequently 
into our hands, it was occupied and peopled and tilled and manufactures 
and shipping- were carried on by Freuchmen arid under the French 
authority. 

In our country we followed up our exploration by Lewis and Clark. 
Four years afterwards a ship knoWn as the Albatross came in from 
Boston. They sailed up the Columbia River much farther inland than 
did Captain Cray, and there they made their settlement. They settled 
in among those giant firs and among the thickets of the forest. They 
cleared away the soil, removed the trees, and entered upon a system 
of cultivation of the soil. They erected their habitations and they 
remained there until the following year. 

After that came Astoria and John Jacob Astor with his expedition, 
largely upon the assurance — I may say almost altogether upon the 
assurance — of Thomas Jefferson to John Jacob Astor that he should 
have the patronage and sanction of the Government of the United 
States so far as it could protect his great enterprise in that far-away 
land. The enterprise was planted on the Columbia River in the year 
1811, and had it not been for the intervening and the capture of Astoria 
by the British fleet his descendants, perhaps, would be in control of a 
large portion of Astoria to-day. They were for many years after- 
wards, perhaps half a century afterwards, in control of the fur trade, 
which subsequently passed into the hands of another corporation, and 
then that was merged in the great and historic Hudson Bay Company. 

But in the meantime American settlers were coming there; and I 
wish to say this, which is confirmed by history, that when the main 
settlement came to that country sixty-three years ago they found sev- 
eral of the crew of the ship Columbia residing on the fertile lands of 
the Willamette Valley. They found some of the Lewis and Clark 
party there. They found several of the Astoria expedition settled 
there in their habitations. Many were living with the Indian women 
of the country. And thus it is, from a mere nucleus we continued 
following up our settlement until the year 1813, when the largest 
emigration proceeded to that country from a portion of the State of 
Missouri, where they had all united or assembled upon a certain May 
morning, and the great caravans started for this distant country. 
There were about 1,000 people in that emigration, and they embraced, 
as Mr. Scott so well said the other day, men who afterwards became 
famous in the history of this country and particularly in the States 
west of the Rocky Mountains, including California. The first execu- 
tive of the State of California had been a trapper, in his buckskin 
trousers and moccasins on .the banks of the Willamette River. Peter 
H. Burnett, that energetic man, was another. Marshall was another. 
He proceeded to Captain Suter's fort in California, and there, while 
he was engaged in the construction of the ditch or dam for the use of 
the mill, he discovered gold. 

Thus our occupancy took place, and we trace that occupancy in the 
first instance to Captain Lewis and Captain Clark for the greatest 
results for the chief incident in the acquisition of our country. 

We obtained the title and claim based upon a treaty with Spain in 
1819, but the Spanish title was a mere technical one, because they had 



38 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

not occupied the country. The}^ had not fulfilled that other chief 
element of international law by holding- possession of the country 
after the}^ discovered it; but it must be conceded, and history concedes 
it, that the Spaniards were the first discoverers of all that country — 
before the British, before the Russians, before the French, before the 
Americans, before any nation laid any claim whatever; but when they 
conveyed to us their title north of the 42° that was a better title than 
the English title. It was the superior title to the English title, and 
that, coupled with our own occupancy, foreclosed any other country 
from competing for a superior title to that section. 

The point I am making, Mr. Chairman, is that this is a proper cen- 
tennial anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition — because we 
perhaps owe more to those men, to Thomas Jefferson, and to his illus- 
trious compeers who aided in that great enterprise in that early day — 
and therefore it is lit and proper that we should appropriately celebrate 
it on the occasion which is to occur next year. 

Again, Mr. Chairman, looking at this from a sentimental point of 
view, the question is asked, What is all this thing worth? and a great 
many suggest, When shall we draw the line? Many of our brother 
members say that to us, Where shall we draw the line? When will 
the time come when we shall ever hear the last of these expositions?" 
That inquiry, Mr. Chairman, does not belong to an enterprise such as 
this, for, as I said before, we have taken up three of the great events 
of this country, greater than any others that have preceded them, and 
now we come to the fourth and last great one. 

What justice will there be in closing down, in drawing the line of 
demarcation now, excluding this after we have so appropriately and 
so justly given liberal recognition to the other three, and especially 
when you have given it to other expositions which have not involved 
in themselves the question of sentiment or anything that will tend to 
produce those great results in the human mind and in the actions of 
our citizens, which are so beneficial in the aftergrowth and develop- 
ment of the country and grant an equal renown, but which were 
intended almost exclusively as industrial expositions? Here we unite 
the two, having the industrial exhibits and also doing honor to our- 
selves in remembering the valorous deeds of those intrepid men, Lewis 
and Clark, and the men who undertook that perilous journey. 

Then again as to the results. As has been suggested by Mr. Myers, 
it is an enormous country. The Oregon country exceeds in area that 
of all the Germanic Empire, and, combined with that, all of Italy, all 
of Switzerland, and all of the Netherlands. All of them combined 
do not really equal the area of the Oregon country. If we had an 
enormous population perhaps we would not be as urgent in the matter 
of so large an appropriation. 

W 7 e have the vast empire there, but we have not the people. It is for 
the purpose of getting the people whom that country is so capable of 
sustaining that we ask for this appropriation. A population of at least 
50,000,000 can be sustained by that countiy. It is for the purpose of 
laying the foundation for the 50,000,000. It is for the purpose of 
inducing the 50,000,000 to go there, your brethren, your fellow-citi- 
zens, your countrymen as well as ours, in order that the}^ may people 
the country and make your country and my countiy greater than it is 
to-day. 1 think such an exposition will largely tend to that end. 
When gentlemen question me as to the worth of these expositions, I 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 39 

want to say, and history will bear me out, that there never has been 
an exposition combining within it the centennial theory, together with 
that of the industrial phase, that has not rendered back to the country 
a hundredfold more than it cost. 

We well remember the effect of the Philadelphia exposition upon 
the general taste of this country. 1 may say that in many respects 
that exposition changed the taste of the American people. There was 
a* vast number of implements in use in the trades and in the industrial 
material of the country that absolutely became obsolete after that 
exposition. Many great factories immediately revolutionized their 
system of manufacture and adopted the new methods that were on 
exhibition for the first time at that celebrated exposition. 

These expositions are object lessons. They are great schools to all 
the country. They exhibit among ourselves, one to the other, what, 
in this vast and diversified country, we are producing, for we are 
almost as much strangers on the Pacific coast to much of }^our advance- 
ment and your resources and your wonderful inventive genius here as 
you are to the foreign nations of the earth. We should become more 
intimately acquainted with each other than we are. We should learn 
from each other. We can learn by an interchange of sentiment and 
idea as well as by the object lesson of an interchange of our material 
resources. 

Then there is that which Colonel Myers has referred to in which the 
citizens of a great nation take a pride, its material advancement, that 
we should count not little in the matter of the use of such an exposi- 
tion as this, and that is that vast country, the Orient, which we are 
facing on the shores of the Pacific to-day b}^ reason of Lewis and 
Clark's explorations and of the foresight of that magnificent Thomas 
Jefferson. We have a greater frontage to-day on the Pacific shores 
than any other nation upon those shores. We are looking across at 
more than one-half the population of the earth, upon an area that 
exceeds one-third of the area of the earth. We can reach the markets 
of producers, undeveloped in their consuming capacity as yet, but who, 
by reason of the cultivation of western methods and the inspiration of 
western ideas, will with their industry and their magnificent resources 
become the most liberal as well as profitable in the matter of consump- 
tion as nations to whom we desire to export. 

W^hile we are passing over but one waterway to reach that rich 
market, the Orient (and we are already within 600 miles of the gates 
of China), our foreign rivals are passing over three oceans. To-day 
we must export our products to sell them in the markets there under 
the very shadow of the factories of our rivals, but when we meet them 
in the Orient we meet them upon equal terms. We meet them, indeed, 
after we have reached there, cheaper and quicker and with greater 
convenience in the matter of navigation than they can possibly reach 
that coveted-market. 

Therefore, 1 say to you, an exposition 3,000 miles from the capital 
of the nation, upon the shores of that great ocean where we, the Amer- 
ican people, own a greater frontage than any other, where we are 3,000 
miles nearer to the coast of the Orient whose trade we so much desire, 
is very much to be desired, and we can invite them, as we shall do, as 
we intend to do, whatever the committee may recommend in the mat- 
ter of aiding us, to come themselves across the Pacific, for we have 
some of the largest steamships now afloat, and we have a numerous 



40 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

fleet of them, too. We can bring them there and we can also invite 
them to bring their varied products. 

Mr. Chairman, another thought as to the marketable advantage that 
there is in facing the Orient. We import to-day, of all our importa- 
tions, about one-half from the Orient. Four hundred million dollars' 
worth of our importations come from the Orient, about one-half of all 
the imports from all the nations of the earth; and, more than all, 
nearly every dollar of those imports are products that do not compete 
in the least with the productions of this countiy. 

Secondly, of the exports from this country, they are of articles 
used b} T those people, of which we are the largest producers on the 
face of the earth. So there is such a mutuality there, such a consid- 
eration in the matter of trade relations, that anything and everything 
that will subserve that relation, increase that relation, in its infancy 
and enlargement, it seems to me should be seriously considered by 
every American statesman, and especially those who are the represent- 
atives of the people for the time being, and have in keeping and in 
trust the advancement of this country, so far as legislation can 
advance it. 

These are some of the views we entertain, Mr. Chairman, upon the 
waters of the Pacific. Young in age, few in numbers, yet still the old 
flag floats there, and if it had not been for Lewis and Clark the Span- 
ish or the English flag would have floated upon all of the Pacific shores. 

W r e have advantages, too, in the matter of this market in reaching 
the Orient. We have stepping-stones, shrewdly and advisedly estab- 
lished in the stations in the greatest ocean on earth. We have Hawaii, 
Tutuila, Guam, the Philippines, and we have arrived, as I have said, 
within 600 miles of the gates of China. Then, again, why should we 
not cultivate such a trade as this? Talk about the victory of Manila! 
What would the sounding of Dewey's guns have amounted to at Manila 
except so far as to vanquish the Spanish fleet, which it would have 
done, perhaps, upon those distant shores and that distant ocean ? There 
would have been no treaty of Paris. There would have been no ter- 
ritorial expansion there if it had not- been for Lewis and Clark and 
the foresight of Thomas Jefferson in extending the domain of this 
country from the Atlantic to the Pacific shores and giving us our first 
outlet upon that great ocean frontage. 

For one, Mr. Chairman, I will say to you — and 1 wish to look at 
this matter as unbiased and disinterested as I can, in view of the part 
which we have all taken in the matter of subserving the interests of 
our country within the lines of the great Constitution which controls 
us — that if I were a resident of the city of New York, of my native 
State of Maryland, or the State of Pennsylvania, or of the New Eng- 
land States, or wherever it might be upon the Atlantic seaboard, I 
should feel it one of my greatest duties to support such an exposition 
as this in the name of my countiy. [Applause.] 

I thank you. 

The Chairman. Does any other gentleman wish to be heard? 

Mr. Myers. I would like to add this statement in reference to our 
own State — this, I believe, has not been mentioned here: For the 
Chicago fair my State appropriated $60,000. I state this to you to 
show the interest and patriotism of the people in that far-distant State, 
with our small population, and how we have felt about expositions. 
For the Omaha Trans-Mississippi fair we appropriated $42,000; for the 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 41 

St. Louis fair we appropriated $50,000 in addition to our appropria- 
tion for the Lewis and Clark fair; for the Pan-American fair we 
appropriated $25,000; for the Charleston fair we appropriated $5,000. 
The amount that we appropriated for New Orleans and Philadelphia 
I am not certain about; but it was a good appropriation, I think some 
$20,000 or $25,000. 

I merely refer to these matters for the purpose of showing that the 
State has "taken an interest in all these expositions. 

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN N. WILLIAMSON, REPRESENTATIVE 

FROM OREGON. 

Mr. Williamson. Mr. Chairman, in addition to what Mr. Myers 
has said, it so happened that I was a member of the ways and means 
committee of the Oregon legislature when it made all of these appro- 
priations he refers to. We not only gave them cheerfully, but we 
considered them good investments. 

The Chairman. Were you in the legislature when this bill author- 
izing the Lewis and Clark Exposition was passed? 

Mr. Williamson. Yes. 

The Chairman. Are you familiar with the terms of it? 

Mr. Williamson. Do you mean the bill you have before you? 

The Chairman. No; the State law. 

Mr. Williamson. Not in particular. The general run of the meas- 
ure I have in my mind. 

The Chairman. When was the act passed? 

Mr. Myers. It was passed in 1903. I think 1 have a copy of it, 
Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Williamson. What particular point did you want to inquire 
about? 

The Chairman. I was wondering on what lines it was framed. The 
best thing would be to have the law before us. 

Mr. Williamson. Yes; we will have it. I will not undertake any 
extended remarks. I could not add anything of interest after the 
speech we have just heard. I indorse every word of it. I would like 
to inquire, though, on the suggestion of the chairman that some 
changes will be necessary in the bill, how extensive a change that 
would lead up to? 

The Chairman. That I am unable to sa} r . The committee has not 
considered the bill at all. The object of the hearing was to get the 
ideas of the men who were interested. There has been no considera- 
tion of the bill at all. The suggestions the chair has made this morn- 
ing are suggestions that would come from him as an individual mem- 
ber of the committee in reading over the bill and from being familiar 
with this line of legislation. With the study that I have been able to 
give to the bill, the suggestions naturally occurred to me, and I want 
to get the views of the men who are interested. 

Mr. Williamson. I feel like saying just this much in regard to a 
certain feature of that bill, that appertains to making an appropriation 
for a building for memorial purposes. I was present and one of the 
committee that had charge of that feature of the bill. I did not have 
charge of that feature, but 1 was called in in consultation in regard to 
incorporating it in the final bill. Some discussion and dissension arose 
about putting it in there, but it was finally concluded by a majority to 



42 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

incorporate it in the bill. I am sure that whatever this committee 
decides to do in that regard will be satisfactory to us. 

The Chairman. Here is one difficulty that I think the committee is 
going to encounter at the very outset — that is, is it necessary for the 
National Government to authorize the holding of a national exposition 
which the State has already authorized ? Is it necessary for a national 
commission to pass upon the question of the appropriateness of the 
site of the exposition after the site has been selected? Suppose 
we were to create the commission that this bill contemplates and 
authorize that commission to select a site, or approve the selection, 
and they did not approve the selection. Of course your State com- 
mission and the local authority or the local exposition management 
would select or present the site that had been selected, upon which 
work has already commenced. It seems entirely superfluous to require 
approval of that which has already been finally selected. 

Mr. Williamson. It is inconsistent to ask the Government to 
originate a thing that the State has already originated ? 

The Chairman. Yes; and to approve a site that the State has already- 
selected. 

Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Chairman, this bill makes it obligatory upon 
the commission to be appointed to accept the site alread}^ selected. 
In section 5 it reads: " Shall accept such site as may be selected and 
offered." 

The Chairman. It seems entirely superfluous to make a provision 
of that kind, because if the Government participates it would have to 
participate in any event by the exhibit upon the site which has been 
selected. 

Mr. Williamson. I am not prepared to say that you are not correct 
in that statement. As Mr. Scott says, results are what we are after, 
and if an} r amendment is necessary we are willing to have it. 

STATEMENT OF HON. W. E. HUMPHREY, REPRESENTATIVE FROM 

WASHINGTON. 

Mr. Humphrey. Mr. Chairman, I will not attempt to argue the 
merits of this proposition. I simply want to say, as one of the Rep- 
resentatives, and voicing the sentiment of the other two, of the largest 
and most populous State of the Oregon country, that we are enthusi- 
astically in favor of this proposition. It has been indorsed by all the 
chambers of commerce in our State, I think, without exception. An 
appropriation was made by our State legislature for the purpose of 
aiding the exposition, but it was vetoed by the governor. It is not 
necessary for me to go into the details of why it was vetoed, except to 
say that it was for purely political reasons and had nothing whatever 
to do with the merits of the case. I think it is unnecessary for me to 
state anything further. Our people are unanimously in favor of it, 
and I have no doubt will make an appropriation at the next legislature. 

Mr. Porter. You are expecting them to make that appropriation? 

Mr. Humphrey. We are expecting them to do so, and if they do 
not, I know that Seattle, where I live, the largest city, will make an 
appropriation of her own to assist in that way in case the legislature 
should fail to do it. As I say, the veto was entirely political and had 
nothing to do with the merits. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 43 

Mr. Scott. Just one word, Mr. Chairman, to emphasize what has 
been stated heretofore. It is mere repetition. 

We wish the committee to understand that we desire, first, the 
participation of the United States with its own exhibits; second, such 
act by the United States, if we can secure it, as will be an invitation 
to foreign nations, and particularly to those bordering on the Pacific, 
oriental countries, to join with us in this exposition. That is our desire. 

The Chairman. I think that is clearly understood, Mr. Scott. There 
is just one question, whether the appropriation of money authorizing 
the erection of buildings and making a national exhibit by the Govern- 
ment and under the control and jurisdiction of the Government would 
not be such a recognition as would enable 3^ou to secure the participa- 
tion of foreign governments, or some of them, that are now exhibit- 
ing at St Louis; or whether it would be necessary to go further than 
that, and through the State Department extend a formal invitation on 
the part of our Government. 

This further thought has also occurred to me: You have only about 
200 acres of ground on which to erect your buildings. The statement 
was made at the hearing heretofore that there were 400 acres in the 
exposition, 200 of which is a lake. In the event that j r ou should run 
up against the same condition of affairs in Portland that the exposi- 
tion company in St. Louis encountered, in the necessity of extending 
the area, what opportunity would 3^011 have for that extension? 
Would it be possible? 

Mr. Scott. Not very much extension; but we think the 200 acres 
would contain ground enough for all the buildings and would be more 
than ample room for all the buildings that would be required, even 
with the participation of the United States. 

The Chairman. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company acted 
upon the same idea when they started to provide for an area covering 
620 acres, which was the size of the Columbian Exposition grounds at 
Chicago; but the demands on the parts of the States and foreign 
nations for space for their exhibits and for building sites became so 
great that they have been obliged to extend their area, until to-day it 
includes 1,240 acres. 

Mr. Scott. We shall expect nothing at all, of course, in comparison 
with that. 

The Chairman. But if the Government should formally invite these 
foreign nations to participate and go in and expend the amount of money 
that is asked 1 have no doubt in the world it would be difficult to accom- 
modate those that have been invited and limit them in the invitation 
as to the amount of space allowed. 

Mr. Williamson. In answer to your question about space, I would 
like Mr. Scott to answer again about that. Is there not land back on 
Portland Heights '? 

Mr. Scott. There is plenty of space, but not immediately adjacent 
to this space. 

Mr. Boise. There could be ground secured, not immediateh T adja- 
cent, but fronting on other parts of the lake. There could be plenty of 
ground selected, but we assure you, Mr. Chairman, we do not want 
that. We do not expect it. We intend to have the President or the 
Secretary of State, when he issues the invitation — that they are asked to 
make certain selections of the exhibits at St. Louis to exhibit with us. 



44 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

Of course it is out of the question to dream of having them transfer 
all of their exhibits. We expect a selection of a part of them. 

The Chairman. If you are going to do anything of that kind it ought 
to be so specified in the act, and that is the reason I called your atten- 
tion to it. If it is an invitation merely to select from their exhibits 
at St. Louis such articles as they might desire to exhibit in this exposi- 
tion, it would be one thing; but to send a general invitation to par- 
ticipate would imply that you would have to give a government all 
the space it wanted. We have had some experience in that line in 
St. Louis, and it is to guard against anything of that kind that I make 
the suggestion. 

Mr. Boise. So far as the space is concerned, we could give them 
space on the lake and bordering around there that would be vastly in 
excess of the space at St. Louis and Chicago combined, but we could 
not provide the buildings. 

Mr. Porter. Who in the world would pay for the buildings? 

Mr. Boise. That is it. It is out of the question. 

The Chairman. I will confer with the Secretary of State and put 
the bill in such shape as to be satisfactory to you gentlemen. 

Mr. Myers. In reference to the area in use at these various exposi- 
tions, at the Omaha Exposition it was 150 acres; at Buffalo, it was 300 
acres; at Paris, 336 acres; at Chicago, 633 acres. 

The Chairman. What was it at Paris ? 

Mr. Myers. Three hundred and thirty-six acres. 

The Chairman. Have you the total expense incurred at the last Paris 
Exposition ? 

Mr. Myers. No; I have the amount of the Buffalo, Chicago, and 
St. Louis expositions. 

The Chairman. What have you at St. Louis ? 

Mr. Myers. At St. Louis, $50/00,000 expended for the entire expo- 
sition; at Chicago, about $28,000,000, and at Buffalo about $6,000,000. 

The Chairman. If there is any other gentleman here who wishes to 
be heard he may proceed. 

STATEMENT OF REV. A. S. FISKE, OF WASHINGTON, D. C. 

Mr. Fiske. Mr. Chairman, I have watched closely the discussion 
here this morning and I am most profoundly in sympathy with the 
object of these gentlemen from Oregon in their exposition. I did ten 
years of work over on the Pacific coast and became very familiar with 
it from the south to the north. 

The Chairman. Who do you represent, Mr. Fiske? 

Mr. Fiske. I represent nobody in particular, except that I am the 
pastor of a church in this city and am greatly interested in the moral 
side of this entire question. 

The Chairman. Are you associated with Mr. Crafts? 

Mr. Fiske. 1 have the honor to be on the board of directors of that 
organization. My attention was not called to this hearing until about 
an hour before its session opened, and I have therefore made no prep- 
aration to speak on the matter. I wish to direct attention, however, 
to the last clause of the bill. I see that clause is not in the House 
bill. I observed it, 1 think, in the Senate bill; was it not? 

The Chairman. Yes; it is a Senate committee amendment. 



LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 45 

Mr. Fiske. I was not aware of the history of it, but I supposed it 
would come up before this committee for consideration, and while I 
have no extended remarks to make upon it, I have this to say: Of 
course you are all aware that this matter has been fought out in Con- 
gress three or four times in the past under propositions very much 
like that which has been appended to the bill by the Senate committee. 
It has alwa}^s been decided that the exposition, under the approval of 
the United States authorities, should not be open on the Lord's Day. 
Ultimately, in the conduct of one of these expositions, the bod}^ in 
immediate control opened its gates on the Sabbath, but became finally 
satisfied that that was not a politic matter and endeavored to close 
them, but there came legal obstructions which prevented their closing 
the gates. 

It is well for the committee and for Congress to remember that 
there are in the United States Protestant and Catholic Christians in 
the membership of these churches numbering fully 28,000,000 per- 
sons'in the actual membership; that there are just about 19,000,000 
members of Protestant churches called Evangelical. Now, abso- 
lute^ without exception, the moral and religious convictions of this 
great mass of people will be opposed to the opening on the Lord's Day, 
and especially for gain, of the gates of any exposition in which the 
Government of the United States is concerned; for I see by this 
amendment that it is proposed that an entrance fee of 50 cents is to be 
required on the Lord's Da}^ and that there is to be 

Mr. Wtsn. Pardon me; where do you find that section? 

Mr. Fiske. In the last section of the bill as amended by the Senate. 

The Chaikman. There is no provision for an entrance fee, however. 

Mr. Winn. It does not provide for an admission fee to be charged 
on Sundays. Excuse me for interrupting you. 

Mr. Fisk. I took that for granted. I did not think the gates would 
be thrown open without an admission fee. 

Mr. Wynn. You are only supposing that. It is not in the bill. 

Mr. Fisk. I thought it was in the amendment proposed, but I sup- 
pose there is provision that for the opening of the gates there shall be 
the usual admission fee. 

The Chairman. If this exposition is given under State authorit} r , 
you should appear before the legislature of the State of Oregon. 

Mr. Fisk. Exactly, but I supposed the proposition was to secure 
the organization of the United States Government and of Congress, 
and it is to that point I am speaking. The substance of what I want 
to say is this, that there is a very large mass of the American people 
who are in hearty sympathy with the Christian church, both Protestant 
and Catholic, and the authorities of both churches, Protestant and 
Catholic, have spoken emphatically on questions like this heretofore; 
that these actual members of the- church, which number, as I have said, 
just about 28,000,000 in the United States, have a large constituency 
outside of their own number who are with them in sympathy, with 
them in moral and in religious convictions, and who will be solidly 
opposed to the participation of the United States Government in any 
exposition which throws open its gates on the Lord's day. 

Mr. Bartlett. May I ask you a question ? 

Mr. Fisk. Certainty. 

Mr. Bartlett. Would it be a violation of anything moral to have 
the exposition gates simply open, when there is also a provision that 
devotional exercises and sacred concerts shall be held on the grounds ? 



46 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNLAL EXPOSITION. 

It strikes me that would aid both those who are outsiders and those 
who are employed in the grounds, and that it ought to meet approval 
instead of objection. 

Mr. Fisk. The opening of the gates on the Lord's day would require 
all those who are in charge of the exposition and of the objects on exhi- 
bition to be in attendance. It would encourage the coming in of excur- 
sion trains from all quarters accompanied by crowds that are, as all of 
you from the West well know, often noisy and confused. 

The Chairman. That was not the experience in Chicago, however, 
was it? 

Mr. Hamlin. Would you not get an opportunity to preach to them 
then if the}" did that? 

Mr. Fisk. I would as soon try to preach to a circus. 

Mr. Bartlett. I am not asking it in a spirit of levity or criticism, 
but 1 merely want to know whether, in fact, when this section provides 
that no machinery shall be operated on the grounds of the exposition, 
and that places of amusement shall be closed, and when provision is 
made for devotional exercises and sacred concerts, it would not rather 
aid those who are there in attending devotional exercises and religious 
services, instead of being an objection? 

Mr. Williamson. And whether it would not be a benefit to laborers 
who could not attend on week days. 

Mr. Bartlett. I am speaking absolutely seriously. It occurs to me 
that the provision in this bill upon that line would be more in aid of 
those who are in favor of having people reached by religious influence. 

The Chairman. They would probably reach more people that way 
than they would in their churches. 

Mr. Fiske. I suppose if this exposition is a success, there will be 
40,000 or 50,000 people a day, and especially on Sunda}^s, coming into 
that inclosure. 

The Chairman. Of course you are here in Washington looking after 
this class of legislation, and are familiar with it. Let me ask you 
whether it is not a fact that the opening of the exposition on Sunday 
at Chicago was a failure, that the crowds did not attend, and that the}^ 
did not realize gate receipts enough to pay for the expense of every- 
thing? 

Mr. Fiske. It was a decided failure, and the managers desired to quit 
opening the gates, but they found themselves in such a fix, having 
opened them, that they could not close them. 

The Chairman. Then there is no great danger from the large crowds 
you speak of. 

Mr. Fiske. It is not that. It is that we are going back on the English 
and the American doctrine of the Lord's day — going dead back on it. 

The Chairman. You were putting it on the ground of the great 
crowds that would assemble there. 

Mr. Fiske. No; that was in answer to the suggestion that we should 
hold religious services there. A crowd that has come on an excursion 
from a distance on a railroad train to see an exposition is not going to 
church service. 

Mr. Hamlin. If this bill should become a law they would under- 
stand they would see nothing but devotional exercises. 

Mr. Fiske. Oh, dear me; oh, no. There is nothing in the wide world 
in that. Everything is to be open except the machinery is to be 
stopped. 

The Chairman. Everything is to be closed under that amendment, 



LEWIS AND OLAEK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 47 

putting it the other way, except places where religious and devotional 
exercises are to be held and those places where the exhibits can be 
seen which are educational. Is there anything wrong about that? 
Mr. Fiske. Here is the section: 

"No machinery shall be operated on said exposition grounds on Sundays for the 
purpose of display, and all places of amusement within the inclosure of the exposi- 
tion grounds shall be closed on every Sunday during the period that such exposition 
shall be held. 

Now, the whole exposition is to be opened. Your machinery is not 
to run. Your steam engines are not to furnish force for the various 
specimens of manufacture and industry that may^ be carried on on the 
grounds. Everything else is open. All the caretakers of all the prop- 
erty that is to be exhibited there are to be on hand. Their exhibits 
are to be in constant display. All the officials, the police guards, and 
everything else on the grounds, are to be there on hand to look after 
the crowd, as a matter of course. It says: ''Provision shall be made 
for the holding of devotional exercises." The Christian public, con- 
sidering that matter, will not hold that this provision, made for reli- 
gious exercises, which may be of one sort or another at the option of 
those who chance to be in control, are anything but a makeshift. 

Mr. Wynn. In asking you these questions I want to have it under- 
stood that I am heartily in favor of the sentiments that you have 
expressed. I am religiously inclined rayself and I believe in observ- 
ing the Sabbath; but there are reasons why this amendment was put 
into the bill. They say there is no compromise between the Lord and 
the devil, except to believe in the Lord; but there may be some way 
of effecting a compromise here, which you have not mentioned. The 
main objection which you advance against the exposition being opened 
on Sundays is that it would detract from the church of God, is it not? 
In other words, it would make Sunday a day of amusement instead of 
a day of religious worship. 

Mr. Fiske. The main reason in my mind and in the mind of the reli- 
gious public is that it is in violation of the command of Almighty God, 
who has reserved the Sabbath from all secular and temporal purposes 
for His worship and His service. 

Mr. Winn. You know what the West is? 

Mr. Fiske. I know it thoroughly, sir. 

Mr. Wynn. I understand the purpose of this amendment is to give 
an opportunity to the working classes, who have no chance to attend 
the exposition on week days, except b}^ the loss of time and labor. 
They are paid by the day for their work, and it would give them an 
opportunity to at least see more of the exposition than they ever could 
see if they had to lay off to do so. I may be wrong — and I will stand 
corrected if I am wrong — but it seems to me that if the exposition 
grounds are closed on Sunday mornings, thereby giving to those who 
may reside there or who may be there for the time being an oppor- 
tunity to attend church services, there would be no harm in opening 
the exposition in the afternoon, in order that the working classes 
might spend a few hours there. 1 am willing to assist and do my part 
in living up to the Sabbath Day, but I do believe that the working 
classes of the West — and you know their conditions as well as I do, if 
you have been there — should have an opportunity, with as little expense 
to them as possible, to see this exposition as frequently as they can. 

Mr. Fiske. That, of course, is a familiar and is the only argument 



48 LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 

that I can conceive that makes for the propriety of the provision. The 
same argument is made as to other things. It is made in favor of 
throwing open the golf links of a golf club here on Sunday, for the 
baseball game, for every other form of amusement on Sunday, because 
the working people can not get a chance at them except on the Lord's 
Day, and therefore it is best to throw down the commandment. 

The Chairman. But the amendment proposes to close all places of 
amusement. 

Mr. Fiske. The whole outfit is a place of amusement. 

Mr. Chairman. It is principally a place for education, is it not? 

Mr. Fiske. Yes; education — amusement and education. 

Mr. Porter. Education and trade, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Fiske. Education and trade. 

Mr. Porter. One of the principal grounds for holding an exposi- 
tion is for trade. 

Mr. Fiske. I did not come here to make any argument. I came 
simpty to say that the question has been fought out in Congress on 
various occasions, and the public opinion of the United States has 
manifested itself so determinedly on the side of the sacredness of the 
Lord's Day- that it has never accomplished its purpose, and it never 
will. Such a provision as that in this bill will throw the great 
majority of the people of the United States into dead antagonism to 
the whole enterprise; and it does not seem to me that these gentlemen 
from Oregon and from the western coast, whose interests are as dear 
to me as the interests of the East are at least, are wise in pressing that 
matter. Indeed, 1 asked one of the representatives from Oregon a 
little while ago whether they were set on that provision, and he said 
they were not at all. I really believe the delegation coming from 
Oregon, when it considers the matter maturely, when it reflects upon 
it, will not desire to have that amendment carried in the bill. I have 
nothing further to say. 

Mr. Porter. Mr. Chairman, permit me to say just a word. It does 
not seem to me we want discussion at this time in regard to such a 
matter. I am very glad the matter has been presented and I shall 
hope that a courteous hearing shall be given to any American citizen 
at any time in a matter of that kind, in the expressing of his opinions. 
When the proper time comes for discussion, I shall be very glad to 
speak upon this point. I think the statement is well made at this time. 
1 believe it would be of the greatest benefit to this exposition or any 
other exposition in which the United States takes part, and for the 
good of the exposition itself, that the doors shall be closed on the Sab- 
bath Day. 

Mr. Bartlett. I did not mean to say that I was in favor of opening 
them. I merely called the attention of the gentleman to the provision 
and asked him if he did not think it would be a benefit to reach people 
by religious instruction, as provided in the bill. 

Mr. Fiske. I started to answer that when I was interrupted by what 
the chairman had to say. If a set of people go to an exposition to 
see an exposition they are not going to go down into a corner some- 
where and attend a prayer meeting. If they went there to attend a 
prayer meeting they would shut their eyes to the exposition and go 
to the pra3 7 er meeting. If the}^ went to hear a sermon, they would 
shut their eyes to everything else and go and hear the sermon; 
but after they come from Chicago or Springfield or down from Seattle 



LEWIS AND CLABK CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION. 49 

on Sunday to see the exposition, they are not going to hear preaching. 

Mr. Boise. Is it not a fact that in recent years there has been an 
interpretation by the different ministers, many Protestants and almost 
universally in the Catholic faith, that after people attend one service 
upon that day they may then look around for observation and educa- 
tion, and that they claim that is not intended to be prohibited by the 
commandments? 

Mr. Fiske. Yes; that is the continental idea. 

Mr. Boise. To-day there is one very eminent Episcopal minister in 
Chicago who has announced that doctrine; that if they attend divine 
service they ma}^ look around, not to indulge in riotous things, but 
for the purpose, as Mr. Tawney suggested, of information and educa- 
tion, such as looking at those exhibits. 

Mr. Fiske. The continental Sabbath is that which the religious peo- 
ple of this country are more afraid of than anything else in the world. 
Three of the chief prelates of the Catholic Church in this country have 
pronounced themselves most decidedly and positively against any 
opening of these expositions on the Lord's Day. One of them is 
Ireland. I do not remember the names of the others, but three of the 
most eminent Catholic prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in this 
country have pronounced themselves on that point, and every ecclesi- 
astical body of any sort that has spoken of the matter at all has pro- 
nounced itself in this way. 

I doubt if there is a member of the 28,000,000 members of the 
Protestant and Catholic churches in this country who would consent 
on any terms to give his sanction to an exposition which would open 
its doors on the Lord's Day. 

Mr. Fiske. I do not believe this committee or the Congress of the 
United States will violate it; but still I thought it was wise, without 
having any distrust of the committee or of Congress, to call the atten- 
tion of the committee this morning to the matter. 

I am very much obliged for the opportunity to address you. 

The committee thereupon adjourned. 

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